BJP weakening reservation system: Akhilesh Yadav; releases 'PDA Audit' report

Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh BJP government of weakening the reservation system, forcing people to approach courts to secure constitutional rights.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday accused the state BJP government of weakening the reservation system, saying that people were being forced to approach courts to secure rights guaranteed under the Constitution. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Yadav released a document titled 'PDA Audit' on 'loot of reservation'.

''This document on PDA audit and the loot of reservation will continue to improve, and more data will be included in it,'' the former chief minister said.

Yadav coined the acronym PDA in June 2023, which stands for 'pichhde' (backward classes), Dalits and 'Alpsankhyak' (minorities).

Targeting the ruling BJP, Yadav said if students and aspirants have to knock on the doors of courts to get constitutional provisions implemented, ''it should be understood that the government is biased.''.

''If we have to approach courts for constitutional rights, it means the government is biased. And one who is biased is also unfaithful. Bias itself is injustice because it snatches away rights,'' he alleged. The SP chief described the reservation as a means of social justice and equality.

''Reservation is protection. It is also a tool and a medium for social coordination,'' he said.

Referring to the BJP government's bulldozer action, Yadav said, ''If the BJP government wants to use bulldozers, then they should use them to level the uneven ground of inequality and provide everyone their rightful reservation.''.

He further alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the reservation through mechanisms such as lateral entry appointments. ''Through lateral entry, people of their choice are being adjusted through the back door so that reservation demands weaken gradually,'' he claimed. Yadav also accused the BJP of engaging in ''foul play'' over constitutional reservation and alleged that the ruling party did not want equal opportunities for deprived sections of society.

''Reservation is not charity, it is a right,'' he said, adding that reservation was necessary for ensuring social and political representation and for protecting democracy.

The so-called 'audit' presented by Yadav was published in the form of a booklet titled 'PDA Audit Part-1', alleging that more than 11,500 reserved posts meant for PDA categories, referring to backward classes, Dalits and tribals, were affected across 22 recruitment examinations conducted during the BJP government's tenure in Uttar Pradesh.

The audit also refers to the 69,000 teachers' recruitment exercise, claiming that the Uttar Pradesh Backward Classes Commission acknowledged irregularities in the implementation of reservation norms and that the Allahabad High Court had directed the government to provide relief to affected candidates.

The audit further claims that ahead of the 2022 assembly elections, the state government admitted that reservation rules were not properly followed in the teachers' recruitment process, yet no corrective action has been taken so far. Citing recruitment at Banda Agricultural University in 2022, the booklet alleged that out of 15 advertised posts, seven were reserved for OBC, SC and ST candidates, but only two candidates from these categories were selected, resulting in what it termed ''loss'' of five reserved posts. The booklet also raised questions in the 2023 enforcement constable recruitment, claiming that while 239 posts should have gone to OBC, SC and ST candidates under reservation norms, only 205 such candidates were selected, leaving 34 reserved posts allegedly unfilled by candidates from these categories.