The RSS-affiliated student organisation ABVP has said it supports reservation, calling the system necessary for the country, and asserted that those demanding its removal need to develop a detailed understanding of the issue.
In an interview with PTI, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) national general secretary Dr Virendra Singh Solanki, an MBBS graduate, said the organisation believes that everyone should move forward together and this is why reservation is needed.
"The Constitution provides for reservation and reservation should continue," he said.
"The ABVP has always stood with reservation. We have consistently stated that reservation is necessary in the country," he added.
On demands from some groups for reform or removal of the existing reservation policy, Solanki said, "I think those making such demands need a detailed understanding of the issue.
"We need to understand what the country requires," he said.
The ABVP general secretary said the student organisation's ideology is based on social harmony and it believes that everyone should move forward together.
"Therefore, reservation is necessary," he said.
Several people gathered in Delhi on August 21 following a call by an Instagram page, 'Reservation Hatao Andolan', to demand scrapping of reservation.
The protesters demanded that economic criteria be given precedence over caste in determining eligibility for government support and reservation.
The government reached out to the representatives of the group spearheading the protest, with Union minister J P Nadda holding a "cordial discussion" with them at a meeting.
Asked whether the ABVP feels constrained in aggressively raising students' issues because the BJP is in power, Solanki said, "The ABVP's position is very clear, whether the government is BJP's or non-BJP... we work strongly and aggressively on student issues."
He said the ABVP does not always pursue student issues through confrontation and often seeks solutions through dialogue.
"Sometimes a solution can emerge through dialogue. If it does not, the ABVP is ready to struggle.
"On student issues, we move forward in the direction of a solution without any political agenda," Solanki said.
(With inputs from PTI)