Sena favours quota for economically backward

Shiv Sena on Monday said it favoured reservation for the economically backward but was against giving it to Muslims.

"My party right from the beginning is for giving preference in employment to economically-weaker people. Economically backward people should get preference. This has been brought in the wake of compulsion due to social circumstances. We may support the reservation," senior party leader Manohar Joshi said.

Addressing a press conference along with former Union Minister Anant Geete, the Shiv Sena leader said that party supremo Bal Thackeray would elaborate on the stand on the OBC quota issue later.

At the same time, Joshi made it clear that his party was against reservation to Muslims saying it would lead to a dangerous division in the country.

He said Shiv Sena was against appeasement of any community and was concerned that the last two years has seen that Hindus have been targeted by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir as also in some other parts of the country.

He said while Muslims in the country were getting united, it was not so with Hindus.

The former Lok Sabha Speaker said that Shiv Sena and BJP would continue to remain together in Maharashtra and there were no problems in the alliance inspite of the death of Pramod Mahajan.

Replying to a question, he wanted Union Ministers like AR Antulay to pressurise the Centre for ensuring "a pro- Maharashtra" affidavit in the Supreme Court in the boundary dispute case with Karnataka.

First Published: May 22, 2006 15:52 IST