Shiv Sena MP in Rajya Sabha, Anil Desai on Tuesday called for an examination of whether the reservation system has benefitted the people for whom it was intended even as he said that there was a demand for it in the private sector. Speaking during the discussion on Constitution, Desai said that it needs to be seen whether the benefits of the system are going beyond the few who have benefited and has percolated to villages to people in need of them. He said reservations for SCs and STs were enshrined in the Constitution to ensure social equality and real progress. However, it does not seem to be happening.
Desai noted that there is demand for reservations in private sector and there is need to examine whether the present system is working well in the right spirit. He said there is a possibility of a rift between various castes which Parliamentarians should ensure does not happen. With regard to law on prevention of atrocities against Dalits, genuine victims should be helped, he said, adding that in other cases, where it has been used in a different way, states should look into the matter.