Reservation will survive only when Constitution does: Akhilesh Yadav

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday said that reservation will survive only when the Constitution survives, as the Constitution is both the shield and the armour.

A statement issued by the Samajwadi Party said that as per the instructions of the party's national president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, Reservation Day (Aarakshan Divas) was observed as Samvidhaan Maanstambh Divas on July 26 at district and city unit offices across the state, including in the capital Lucknow.

"By organising the Samvidhaan Maanstambh Sthapnaa Divas in the presence of a copy of the Constitution of India, we are reiterating our resolve to protect and maintain social justice, equality and reservation," Yadav said in the statement.

"The basic sentiment behind this is that Samvidhaan Maanstambh should always illuminate and pave the way for our resolve to establish the rule of social justice in the form of PDA Prakashstambh. Reservations will survive only when the Constitution survives. The Constitution is the shield, the Constitution is the armour," he said.

According to the statement, SP national general secretary Shivpal Singh Yadav in Ghazipur, Leader of Opposition in the UP Legislative Assembly Mata Prasad Pandey in Gorakhpur, Leader of Opposition in the UP Legislative Council Lal Bihari Yadav in Etah, MP Ramji Lal Suman in Firozabad, Awadhesh Prasad in Ayodhya, Dharmendra Yadav in Jaunpur, and SP state president Shyam Lal Pal in Budaun were among the chief guests at events held to install the Samvidhaan Maanstambh.

Prominent leaders also participated in similar programmes held in other districts across the state, the statement added.