GORAKHPUR, Sept. 7 -- Union minister and Apna Dal (S) president Anupriya Patel on Sunday said reservation was a constitutional provision that could not be abolished, stressing that the rights of backward and deprived sections of society must be protected. Addressing a gathering in Deoria, Patel said, "Reservation is a gift of the Constitution. It is a constitutional right and cannot be abolished." She said constitutional safeguards for socially and educationally backward communities must remain protected. Taking a dig at the Samajwadi Party (SP), Patel questioned why it had raised the PDA (Pichhda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak) agenda after being out of power. She alleged that political parties often remember backward and deprived communities only when they are out of power. Patel said adequate representation and opportunities must be ensured for backward communities and that constitutional safeguards should not be weakened. She accused the SP of using backward classes, Dalits and minorities primarily as an electoral strategy, saying these communities should instead be the focus of sustained policies and efforts. Her remarks came amid heightened political activity in Deoria following the resignation of district magistrate and IAS officer Divya Mittal. htc...