BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok's comments have sparked strong opposition from voices supporting modifications to the quota system and the permanent repeal of the UGC's now-stayed equality criteria amid demonstrations calling for a reform in caste-based reservations by the "upper-castes." Alok said in a video titled "My personal views only on UGC and Reservation" that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had solved the complaints of upper castes by implementing the 10% Economically Weaker Sections quota in 2019.
He also mentioned the Rohini Commission's work on the subcategorization of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and the constitutional status granted to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC). Alok called the rallies over the reservation and the debate surrounding the UGC equity standards "an attempt to deepen caste divisions and weaken Hindu unity".
"You received a 10% reservation under the Economically Weaker Sections quota because Modi ji cares about every section of society," Alok remarked in the clip.
However, he was accused by proponents of reservation reform of denying upper-caste individuals the opportunity to voice their opinions on issues that impact them. Some said that mass mobilization was the only reason the Supreme Court stayed the UGC restrictions. Others questioned Alok's claim that only populations directly impacted should speak, citing his own initiatives on issues impacting Muslim women.
The exchange has given the growing mobilization over the SC/ST Act, caste-based reservations, and the now-stayed UGC norms a new focal point. Alok uploaded the video on X on Monday, just hours after quota-reform activist Ajeet Bharti, who operates the Reservation Hatao Andolan account on the site, was charged under the SC/ST Act for allegedly making comments against Nagina MP and head of the Azad Samaj Party Chandrashekhar Azad.
HOW IS FED QUOTA-REFORM MOBILIZATION AFFECTED BY ROW OVER UGC EQUITY RULES?
Unreserved-category students and "upper-caste" groups criticized the UGC's 2026 equality standards, which were intended to curb caste discrimination in higher education, claiming that their omission from certain protections could make them susceptible to fraudulent allegations. In January, the Supreme Court halted the regulations, deeming some of them prima facie ambiguous and susceptible to abuse.
An internet movement that has been calling for modifications to caste-based reservations, such as a study of its effects, subcategorization, and the application of economic criteria, gained new impetus from the protests, unhappiness, and controversy.
When NEET candidate Harsh Dubey staged a significant demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 21, the campaign took to the streets. Leading proponents of quota reform, such as Ajeet Bharti, intensified the campaign, which attracted support from organizations like the General Sena, Chanakya Sena, and Karni Sena.
Under the Reservation Reform Andolan banner, thousands of people assembled in Delhi's Jantar Mantar on August 21 to demand that quota benefits be more closely linked to economic needs and extended to the castes that have not benefited from them.
Protests over Quota Reform put the BJP on a sticky wicket.
People from unreserved categories are part of the BJP's main support base, which makes the continuing protests uncomfortable for the party. Even some of the BJP's partners have criticized the demonstrations over caste-based reservations, aside from political figures who represent the Dalit and OBC populations.
Chirag Paswan, a Union Minister and leader of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), stated that reservation "is not something that can be ended at anyone's demand, nor is it charity given to anyone."
Ramdas Athawale, the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment and leader of the Republican Party of India (Athawale), went so far as to demand that anyone who opposed or wanted to abolish the reservation be charged with sedition. Akhilesh Yadav, the Kanauj MP and leader of the Samajwadi Party, also stated that the reservation "was, is, and will remain" and that it is not "khairat," or charity.
In Uttar Pradesh, where Assembly elections are scheduled for 2027, the issue may gain political weight due to the increasingly acrimonious confrontations.
The BJP, on the other hand, has been observed to be cautious but has interacted with the demonstrators in some way without supporting their demands.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak met with Harsh Dubey and representatives of the reservation-reform movement the day after the Jantar Mantar demonstration on August 21, held a joint press conference with them, and promised to bring their requests to the BJP's central leadership. He added that within 48 hours, a delegation would meet with a Union minister.
Alok's seven-minute, fifty-eight-second video debuted on X during this political turmoil. The BJP spokesperson questioned the direction of the quota-reform mobilization while attempting to use the Modi government's EWS quota and its actions on the NCBC as proof that it had addressed upper-caste concerns.
The argument made by BJP spokesperson Ajay Alok on EWS and OBCS
Ajay Alok stated in the video that communities that have stayed outside the reservation's effective reach should be the main focus of the discussion. "2,598 backward, extremely backward and Dalit castes" had not gotten quota benefits, he claimed, citing the Rohini Commission."Rather than upper-caste society, shouldn't those 2,598 castes be the real concern?" he questioned.
The panel was established in 2017 with the express purpose of investigating the subcategorization of OBCs. 2,399 backward castes and communities were included in its 2023 report, of which 837 were deemed to be the most backward. SC and ST reservations were not examined.
Because Modi ji is concerned about all facets of society, you were granted a 10% reservation under the Economically Weaker Sections quota. Alok stated in the film, "He has demonstrated through his actions that he cares for the country and for every community. He knows that upper castes have been, are, and will remain his strength."
The Supreme Court upheld the 10% EWS quota in 2022 after it was made possible by the 103rd Constitutional Amendment in 2019. Economically disadvantaged individuals outside of groups already qualified for SC, ST, and OBC reservations are covered.
Alok added that the OBC Commission "was never a constitutional body" prior to being granted such status by the Modi administration. In 2018, the 102nd Constitutional Amendment established the NCBC as a constitutional entity.
Alok referred to the UGC controversy as a "conspiracy" and claimed that its purpose was "to spread hatred in society, inflame caste divisions, make people fight... and divide the Hindus." He said that no community would be harmed and urged followers to have faith in Modi and the BJP.
Former JD(U) leader Ajay Alok was sacked from the Nitish Kumar-led party and joined the BJP in April 2023. Since October 2023, he has served as the national spokesperson for the BJP.
AJAY ALOK'S STANCE IS QUESTIONED BY RESERVATION REFORM ACTIVISTS
The internet group spearheading the demonstrations against quota reform, Reservation Hatao Andolan (RHA), retaliated. Alok's belief that upper-caste communities shouldn't comment on reservations when they perceived the issue as directly impacting them was questioned. The group also questioned why the BJP politician had spoken out against issues pertaining to Muslims, such as triple talaq and nikah halala, if only the afflicted community could voice such concerns.You also mentioned [nikah] halala and triple talaq. How did they relate to you? The RHA account wrote on X, "Make an argument, not a false argument."
"Ajay Alok ji, you said: who gave upper castes the right to speak about reviewing reservation," wrote a another handle with the same name. To do so, who are the upper castes? Are you the guardian of upper-caste society, may I ask? "Who granted you that right?"
Similar questions were raised by general category activist Neha Das, who questioned why Alok discussed triple talaq and nikah halala "if we cannot speak about a creamy layer within the SC/ST community or about reviewing reservation."
Abhinay Pandey, a reservation reform activist, claimed that street demonstrations by the "upper castes" were the reason behind the Supreme Court's stay of the UGC equality laws. However, when was the stay granted by the court? Only after we staged protests in the streets," Pandey stated. He questioned why the BJP has just mentioned reviewing the regulations without guaranteeing that they will be repealed.
"If a prominent face like Ajeet Bharti can be booked under it, imagine what an ordinary person may face," Pandey wrote, connecting the argument to the SC/ST Act FIR filed against Ajeet Bharti.
Ajeet Bharti was charged under the SC/ST Act for allegedly making derogatory and casteist comments about Chandrashekhar Azad in a YouTube broadcast on August 22. He referred to the FIR as "pressure-driven," denied using any casteist language, and stated that it "won't survive two minutes in court."
The UGC regulations are currently under government reconsideration and court stay. A political dispute regarding the purpose, beneficiaries, and future of India's caste-based quota system has grown out of the controversy around the UGC regulations. It will be difficult for the BJP to participate in the quota-reform campaign without seeming to weaken its declared commitment to social justice as guarantyd by the constitution.
