JP Nadda Meets Quota-Reform Activists; Ajeet Bharti Calls It 'Negotiation Drama'

Union Minister JP Nadda on Thursday met a delegation of activists campaigning for changes to India's reservation system, days after thousands of people from the unreserved category gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.

The delegation included Harsh Dubey, Ran Bahadur Singh Chauhan and Mrityunjay Pathak, among others. The activists have been seeking changes to the existing caste-based reservation framework and calling for what they describe as greater equality in access to opportunities.

After the meeting, Nadda said the interaction had taken place as part of a previously scheduled engagement and indicated that another meeting with representatives of the general category would be held soon.

However, reservation-reform activist and influencer Ajeet Bharti strongly criticised the outreach, alleging that the meeting did not address the central demands of the movement.

Ajeet Bharti Questions Nadda Meeting

Bharti accused the BJP of presenting Harsh Dubey as a leader of the movement and described the meeting as a "pretence of negotiation".

He alleged that a letter submitted during the meeting did not even mention reservation and argued that the demands discussed did not reflect the broader concerns raised by protesters.

Bharti also questioned why other prominent voices associated with the campaign were not included in the discussions. He specifically raised the absence of Swami Anand Swaroop, whom he described as a major face of the movement.

Warning Nadda against what he called political manoeuvring, Bharti said the government should engage directly with the wider movement rather than relying on selected representatives.

Protests At Jantar Mantar

The meeting comes days after thousands of people from the unreserved category gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 21.

The mobilisation followed weeks of online campaigning by Harsh Dubey, Ajeet Bharti, Anuradha Tiwari and other reservation-reform voices.

Protesters raised objections to caste-based reservation and the now-stayed UGC equity regulations. Some participants called for affirmative-action benefits to be linked more closely to economic circumstances.

Several organisations, including the General Sena, Chanakya Sena and Shri Rajput Karni Sena, also participated in the mobilisation.

The reservation-reform campaign gained visibility alongside the wider CJP-led protests concerning examination irregularities and education reforms.

Nadda Does Not Detail Demands Discussed

Although Nadda described the interaction as cordial and said another meeting would be held, he did not publicly provide details of the demands discussed or disclose any specific assurances given to the delegation.

The development follows a meeting between Dubey and Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak in Lucknow. Pathak had reportedly assured the representatives that their demands would be conveyed to the BJP's central leadership and that a meeting with a Union minister would be arranged.

Bharti Faces Police Case

Separately, Delhi Police recently registered a case against Ajeet Bharti under provisions of the SC/ST Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Information Technology Act over alleged remarks concerning Azad Samaj Party chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad.

Bharti has denied making casteist remarks and described the case as pressure-driven.

The latest meeting between Nadda and reservation-reform activists could therefore become an important test of how the government responds to a campaign that has increasingly gained visibility among sections of the unreserved category.