Gowda promises quota for forward caste poor
The former PM says his party would push for quota for these sections so that the cause of social justice is truly served.
Seeking to woo backward classes and poor among the forward castes who have been deprived of reservation, JDS chief H D Deve Gowda on Friday said his party would push for quota for these sections so that the cause of social justice is truly served.
The former prime minister said communities who had benefited from reservation over the years and progressed, need to sacrifice the "backward classes" tag while those sections who have remained backward need to be given the quota.
Gowda said the party's manifesto for the May Assembly elections would promise to "vertically divide" the 27 per cent quota to include those sections who are really backward.
Reacting to the Supreme Court upholding law for 27 per cent OBC quota in central higher educational institutions, he said: "We (JDS) are also of the view that to maintain cohesion, equality and solidarity in the society, all political parties should evolve through consensus on social and economic support mechanism for the poor among the forward classes."
While welcoming the verdict, he, however, noted that the impact of the judgement is limited to providing reservation in admission to central educational institutions.
Gowda said the quota should be extended to all government jobs, both at Central and state ones. He said his government in Karnataka had taken a "historic step" in 1995 to provide 33 per cent reservation for OBCs, women and minorities in jobs.
Gowda said he would be writing to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, HRD Minister Arjun Singh and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani, all chief ministers and Opposition leaders on "how the cause of social justice can be truly served by taking what has been achieved and implemented in Karnataka as an inspiration and model".
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