Mayawati Demands Quota for Dalit Christians, Muslims

LUCKNOW, FEBRUARY 1: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has written to the Prime Minister demanding reservation in Government jobs for Dalits who have converted to Christianity or Islam. The BSP chief has also demanded that this should be in addition to the existing reservation. Mayawati has argued though para three of the Presidential Order 1950 prohibits reservation for Dalit Muslims and Christians, their conditions was not any better than that of the Scheduled Castes. She said that the Centre should consider the reality and extend reservation to Dalit Muslims and Christians, without changing the existing reservation quota for SCs. For facilitating this, the maximum limit of 50 per cent reservation, set by the Supreme Court, should be increased by amending the Constitution, she suggested, adding that the amendment should then be included in the Ninth Schedule. She said the step was necessary to improve the lot of Dalit Christians and Muslims. On August 11 last year, Mayawati had written to the Prime Minister recommending 10 per cent reservation each for SCs, OBCs and minorities as well as economically backward upper castes in the private sector. The UP Government has already issued orders for such reservation in all units which require any kind of assistance from the Government. In her first letter to the PM, soon after forming her Government in last May, Mayawati had asked him to fulfil the backlog in jobs reserved for SCs, STs and OBCs at the Centre. (Indian Express 2/1/08).

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