Ever since opposition was raised against the reservation for OBC, for the first time a massive protest rally was held in New Delhi on 10 May 2006 to offset the anti-reservation drive organised by medicos and other anti-reservationists.

Thousands of pro-reservation people participated in the public meeting from all over New Delhi and its neighbouring places. The participants shouted slogans against Knowledge Commission and demanded that reservation for OBC in IIT, IIM and Universities be implemented.

Besides Arakshan Samarthak Morcha (Pro-Reservation Front) convener Udit Raj, the leaders of the constituents - Satya Prakash of Arakshan Samarthak Morcha, KC Yadav of Yadav Mahasabha, Kesari Singh Gurjar of Kisan Manch, Madhu Chandra and John Dayal of All India Christian Council, Babu Singh of Dehat Morcha, Rakesh Rafique of Yuva Bharat, Prof PC Patanjali of Backward Claseses Vikas Manch, JC Gola of Prajapati Mahasabha, Kanwar Pal of Haryana Dalit Backward Mahasangh, Lalji Chaurasia of Chaurasia Samaj, Ram Sharan Bhati of Gurjar Mahasabha, Vasudeo Yadav of OBC Railway Employees Federation and VP Nagar of AI Backward Classes Confederation - unequivocally condemned the Manuvadi forces for working against the cause of social justice. They said the government should not buckle under the pressure of a few anti-reservationists.

Addressing the gathering, Udit Raj said Pro-Reservation Front strongly supported the Union Government and HRD Minister Arjun Singh for introducing 27 per cent reservation in educational institutions for OBC and warned that in case the Government  went back on the issue, there would be nationwide protests and agitations in support of the reservation for OBC. He said all talks of merits and high standards by a handful of anti-reservationists were just an expression of their self-interest. “Still 50 per cent of the seats are open to general category students and they can show their merit and skills, if they desire. Many of the students get admission into private medical and engineering colleges by paying huge capitation fees. Are these professions not adversely affected by this practice of capitation fees? If merit is the sole criterion, the doctors should have protested against such practice. The doctors claim to be fighting for all Upper Caste people but in reality it is only some vested interests that are fighting against. Upper Class people do not stand to gain anything from this agitation, which is meant to serve the interests of elite doctors,” he said.

Other speakers came down heavily on the so-called Knowledge Commission for its bias against the reservation for OBC students.  “They have no connection with the realities at the grass-roots level - caste discrimination and other problems of the tribal and Dalit villages. They may have bookish knowledge and can make a plethora of references. But that is not sufficient to lead such a commission,” they said.

“Chairman of the Commission Sam Pitroda lives in America and he may be more equipped with the knowledge of science, computer and telephone but not certainly in respect of Indian society,” they said. However most of the speakers thanked Dr Jayati Ghosh for her bold stand on reservation for OBC.