Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar declared his pride in his Jat heritage while responding to a question from a house member during a discussion on the Union Budget.
Dhankhar noted that Jats are categorized under the OBC (Other Backward Classes) both in the central and Rajasthan government lists. He mentioned his association with the committee that spearheaded the reservation agitation for the Jat community.
"I am Jat and proud to belong to this caste," Dhankhar said, adding that Jats find place in the OBC categories of the Rajasthan and central governments.
His remarks came during BJP member Ghanshyam Tiwari's speech on the Budget. Congress member Rajani Ashokrao Patil queried why Tiwari referred to Dhankhar as an OBC and sought clarification on the OBC status of Jats in Rajasthan. Dr. K Laxman of BJP responded, saying that Jats were included in the OBC list during former prime minister A B Vajpayee's tenure.
Dhankhar recounted his role as the principal spokesperson for the Jat Aarakshan Samiti, which had successfully campaigned for Jat reservations. A six-member delegation had met with the then prime minister, and their demands were promptly accepted. The Rajasthan Chief Minister, who was in Jaisalmer at the time, returned to implement the reservation in the state, making Rajasthan the first state to grant Jats reservation following the central government's approval.He had also pleaded for the case in court despite the subsequent legal hurdles, Dhankhar added.
Following the remarks of Dhankhar, Patil suggested that Marathas should also be included in the list of OBCs.
During the debate, BJP's Mahendra Bhatt lauded the present budget for having the potential to enable India to become a developed nation by 2047. Haarish Beeran of IUML criticized the budget, claiming it favored states allied with the BJP. Kerala, for instance, requested substantial funding for various projects, including a Rs 24,000 crore package over two years and a Rs 5,000 crore transhipment container terminal in Trivandrum, but these demands were not met. He also pointed out that the budget had nothing to help either rubber or coconut farmers.
BJP's Dr K Laxman defended the budget, termed it a blueprint of developed India, and charged Congress with playing political vendetta by issuing contradictory statements over the budget by its leaders.
Jose K Mani of KC (M) questioned whether the budget served the entire country or just two states, criticizing the politicization of natural disaster management.
Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT) labeled the budget as anti-Maharashtra, dubbing it the "Pradhan Mantri Sarkar Bachao Yojna."
Read Also | Dhankhar Warns RS Members: Undignified Behavior Undermines Democratic Principles
Read Also | RS Chairman Dhankhar Expels Surjewala Amid Disruption of Budget Debate
