NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the Modi government over vacant reserved posts for SCs, STs and OBCs in central universities and said this is not just negligence but a "well-planned conspiracy" to keep 'Bahujans' out of education, research and policies.
The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha demanded that all such vacant posts be filled immediately and 'Bahujans' be given their rights, not "Manuwadi boycott".
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi said the figures presented by the Modi government in Parliament are solid proof of 'Bahujans' being deprived of their rights and the presence of "institutional Manuism".
In central universities, 83 per cent of the posts of professor for STs, 80 per cent for OBCs and 64 per cent for SCs have been "deliberately" kept vacant, he claimed.
At the same time, 65 per cent of the posts of assistant professor for STs, 69 per cent for OBCs and 51 per cent for SCs have also been left vacant, the Congress leader charged.
"This is not just negligence, it is a well-planned conspiracy to keep Bahujans out of education, research and policies," Gandhi said.
Due to the lack of adequate participation of 'Bahujans' in universities, the problems of deprived communities are deliberately made to disappear from research and discussions, he claimed.
"In the name of NFS (Not Found Suitable), thousands of eligible SC, ST, OBC candidates are being declared ineligible under Manuvadi thinking and the government is not ready to take any responsibility," Gandhi said.
"This is completely unacceptable. All vacant posts should be filled immediately,? Bahujans should get their rights, not Manuwadi boycott," he said.