Fact-check | Misleading clips stir controversy over BJP’s stand on reservations and Constitution

The claim that the BJP will put an end to reservation and tinker with the Constitution, if re-elected to power, has been a persistent line of attack of the Opposition against the ruling party at the Centre. While the Opposition has cited statements by some within the BJP to substantiate its claim, the ruling party has distanced itself from those remarks.

Against this backdrop, several clips, purportedly showing BJP leaders and supporters advocating an end to reservation and changes to the Constitution, are doing the rounds on social media. However, The Hindu has found them to be misleading.

Among them is a clip of Minister Kirodi Lal Meena seemingly saying that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi achieves the feat of winning 400-plus seats for the BJP, he will put an end to reservation and make changes to the Constitution.

Drawing a hint from the logo of the television channel to which he was speaking, we found a longer version of the video, which shows him describing this remark as an allegation levelled by the Congress against the BJP. He goes on to deny that the BJP has any such plans.

Did Amit Shah declare that the BJP will end reservation?

Another video purports to show Home Minister Amit Shah declaring that the BJP will end reservation for SCs/STs/OBCs, if elected again.

Using a keyword search, we traced the video to a public meeting of Mr. Shah in Chevella, Telangana. The original campaign speech shows him stating that the BJP would end reservation for Muslims and provide it to, rather than take it away from, SCs, STs and OBCs (timestamp: 14:35 to 14:59).

A clip shared by a Congress spokesperson shows Acharya Pramod Krishnam, described as a “close aide of Modi”, demanding the abolition of reservation.

However, it is misleading as he had given the speech in September 2023, when he was a member of the Congress. It may be noted that Mr. Krishnam was expelled from the Congress in February this year.