“Parties ruling states with casteist mindsets trying to end quota in govt jobs”: BSP chief Mayawati

Ashoknagar (Madhya Pradesh) [India]: Amid the ongoing political discourse around caste census, Bahujan Samajwadi Party chief Mayawati on Monday said some parties running governments with a “hateful mindset” towards some castes, are trying to make constitutionally sanctioned reservations in government jobs ineffective.

Speaking to reporters on a visit to poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, “Some parties in the Opposition, who are running governments with a hateful mindset towards some castes, are working to make constitutionally guaranteed reservations in government jobs ineffective before eventually doing away with them.”

“Reservation in government jobs for some backward castes is guaranteed under the Constitution. Yet some governments with a casteist mindset and trying to put an end to it,” she added.

“After independence, the Congress was in power at the Centre and several states over a number of years. Over the last few years, the BJP has been holding the reins of power at the Centre and in many states.

However, neither the Congress nor the BJP have filled the quota for government jobs. They abolished reservation in promotions to a great extent in the guise of court rulings. And, as we have seen, the situation (with regard to reservation) in Madhya Pradesh is just as sordid as it is elsewhere,” the BSP chief added.

She noted further that in the absence of a system of granting reservations in the private sector, amid the increasing privatisation of government services, people belonging to the backward classes are being deprived of the fruits of reservation.

“Without the system of giving reservations to people from these classes in the private sector, most government jobs at the Centre and states are going to people from well-off sections through the private sector. People belonging to different classes are getting very little benefit from reservation due to this. Dalits, tribals, as well as other backward classes, are suffering because of such practices,” the BSP chief said.

Hitting out at the Congress, the former UP chief minister said, “After the country achieved independence, the Congress remained in power at the Centre for a long time. It was during the Congress rule that the first survey was conducted for giving reservations to underprivileged sections. The Kaka Kalelkar Commission (in 1953) made certain recommendations in this regard but the then Congress government did not implement them.”

“Now, as elections loom in several states, they are talking about caste census and making other big promises for votes. The voters should be careful and not be misled by such tall talk,” Mayawati added.

She said the BSP was striving to rise against and recover lost political ground through the efforts of its workers at the grassroots.

“The BSP is the only party, which wants to come to power at the Centre and states through the toil and financial contributions of its grassroots workers and not by turning to the big capitalists for donations,” Mayawati added.

“My party was in power in Uttar Pradesh, the largest state in the country in terms of population, four times. Whenever and wherever we have formed governments, we have catered to the interests of all sections of the society,” she added.

Madhya Pradesh will poll for its Assembly in a single phase on November 17. The votes will be counted on December 3.