Protest against caste-based reservation

Members of the general categories welfare federation on Friday protested here against caste-based reservation and asked for rollback of the 117th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha.

Members of the general categories welfare federation on Friday protested here against caste-based reservation and asked for rollback of the 117th Constitutional Amendment Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha.

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Carrying effigies on a cart, the protesters marched from Teachers' Home to Fire Brigade Chowk. "Most Class-1 officers in all organisations are from the reserved category, and their children and enjoy the benefit of caste-based reservation," said Shiv Pal, district president of the federation. "Quota was meant to uplift the living standard of oppressed classes. A commission should study its impact and submit a report."

The federation demanded that the 117th constitutional amendment bill be rolled back and a high-power commission assigned to review the continuation of caste-based reservation. "The country's two leading alliances are short of progressive ideas and use castes as vote bank," said Harbans Singh Sidhu, state spokesman of the federation.