‘A Political Stunt,’ Mayawati On Upper Caste Quota

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati responds to the ten percent quota for economically backward upper castes.

Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party chief

(Photo: twitter/@mayawatinews)

Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, 8 January, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati responded to the announcement of a ten percent quota for economically backward upper castes.

The Union Cabinet had announced, on 7 January, a ten percent quota for economically backward upper castes in jobs and education. Coming after the existing quota for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, this quota brings the total reservation percentage to 60 percent.

While welcoming the reservation, Mayawati termed it a political stunt, given its timing. She said that there must also be reservations for the poor of various minority groups.

She said that she feels that decisions taken before the Lok Sabha elections are not taken with the right intentions.

“Looks like a political stunt......a political deceit. It would have been better if the BJP had not taken this decision just before the end of their tenure but much earlier,” she added in an interview to ANI (translated from Hindi).

(With inputs from ANI)