Top BJP Leader Meets Activists Behind Anti-Reservation Campaign

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda met with representatives of the 'Reservation Hatao Andolan' in the national capital on Thursday, marking an official engagement with the movement weeks after a significant public gathering at Jantar Mantar.

The meeting was held with Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan, and Mrityunjay Pathak, identified as key members of the activist group. Nadda announced the discussions on the social media platform X, describing the exchange as "cordial" and indicating further meetings were planned.

The engagement follows an August 21 demonstration at Jantar Mantar where hundreds of supporters gathered to advocate for replacing caste-based reservations with an economic criteria system. The protest was organised by 'Reservation Hatao Andolan', an Instagram-based page that has drawn considerable attention for its campaign against affirmative action policies.

Authorities had not granted formal permission for the August demonstration, with police deploying enhanced security measures at the historic protest venue in central Delhi. The movement has emerged as part of ongoing national debates surrounding reservation policies and their implementation across educational institutions and government employment.

The minister indicated through his statement that continued dialogue with the movement's representatives would take place, suggesting the government intends to maintain engagement with the activist group regarding their concerns about reservation reform.