Mayawati bats for ST status to Gurjars

With an eye on elections in Rajasthan, BSP chief Mayawati says her party favours ST status for Gurjars but without disturbing the share of other castes.

With an eye on elections in Rajasthan, BSP chief Mayawati on Sunday said her party favours ST status for Gurjars but without disturbing the share of other castes.

Gurjars should separately be categorised and a percentage be fixed for them, and they be given ST status, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister told a party rally at Vidhyadhar Nagar stadium in Jaipur.

The ST quota should be raised so that no other castes are hurt including Meenas, she said.

Gurjars have been agitating for over an year but the Vasundhara Raje government has failed to find a solution. The Meenas have also gone against the Gurjars community, she said, adding, "it is their genuine demand and the state should put up this before the Centre".

Blaming both Congress and BJP for trying to "abolish quota system", Mayawati said she would provide quota to all SC, ST, OBC and economically poor among upper castes in private sector if BSP is voted to power at the Centre in the next general elections.

"I have provided quota in private sectors in Uttar Pradesh and the results are very encouraging," she said.

She said BSP would adopt a Uttar Pradesh pattern of social engineering by taking people of all upper castes including Brahmins, Jat and Gurjars, adding only social- brotherhood can change the scene of politics and make parties accountable in future.

According to her, there was an urgent need to write a new reservation policy covering economically poor people of all castes.