Amarinder takes dig at Bajwa, defends stand on Jat reservation

Taking a dig at Punjab Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa and former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal over their statement that reservation should be provided on economic basis, former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Friday asked them to convince the Prime Minister on this and he would be with them.

Reacting to the two leaders' statement made during the Jor Mela on Thursday, Amarinder said he had argued for reservation to Jat Sikhs in his capacity as the president of the All India Jat Maha Sabha.

Defending his stand seeking reservation for Jat Sikhs in Punjab, Amarinder said denying that to them was not justified when members of the Jat community in other states had been given the benefit.

Amarinder said, "If Partap Singh Bajwa, Shamsher Singh Dullon and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal can convince Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to introduce reservation on economic basis, I would support it."

He said that as long as the reservation was granted on caste basis, there was no reason why people from the same caste residing in different regions should be denied it when those living in other states had been extended the benefit.

He said the reservation benefits could not be provided only in some parts and must be granted uniformly across the country.

Amarinder said while Jats in nine states had been granted the reservation, the four states where they had a significant presence, including Punjab, had been excluded from the benefit, which was not justified.