Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (Express file photo By Amit Mehra) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. (Express file photo By Amit Mehra)

It’s not often that you get to question a chief minister on a sensitive topic like reservation in educational institutions and providing facilities like free laptops based on the caste of students.

“Mamaji, please don’t bring caste into education,” a student said using the sobriquet the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan answers to while complaining that a friend belonging to reserved category will get a laptop despite scoring three per cents less than him.

The CM spent some uncomfortable moments when the young questioner turned slightly aggressive repeating ‘mamaji caste, mamaji caste,’ and wondered why he won’t get the laptop despite studying for the same length of time and scoring 80 per cent, three per cent more than his friend.

The interaction took place when the CM was taking questions from students across the state in a `live phone in’ programme and also took questions from students present at Model School auditorium in Bhopal.

The uncomfortable question made the official uneasy and they intervened in a bid to silence the student who appeared to cut short the CM by stressing on caste thrice. `Please make it equal for all,’’ the student said as other students cheered him.

Asking officials not to intervene and taking a few seconds to reply, the CM justified reservation saying, “some people were left way behind and we should not complain if they are given some concessions,”. “Our country has flowers of different colours. We need to take care and protect all. Be large-hearted,’ the CM told the young student elaborating on other schemes not based on caste,” he added.

At least one more student highlighted the caste angle wondering why only reserved category students were eligible for concessions like laptop despite scoring less compared with general category students.

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