Mayawati wants reservation for poor upper castes, Muslims

Lucknow : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Tuesday batted for reservation in government jobs for the economically weaker upper castes and Muslims and other minorities.

She said if the Modi government brought a Bill to give 18 per cent or more reservation to the poor from the upper castes, MuslimS and other minority groups, her party will be the first to support it.

Welcoming the passage of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Bill, 2018 in the Lok Sabha, the four-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister also expressed hope that the Bill will sail through the Rajya Sabha comfortably.

She, however, credited the pressure built by her party and the sacrificeS of the Dalits who participated in the April 2 'Bharat Bandh' for the development.

"The voice of the Dalits and the marginalised along with the BSP cadres forced the government at the Centre to bring in this Bill," Mayawati said.

She pointed out how an NDA Minister (Ram Vilas Paswan) was forced to announce a sit-in to compel the government to act against the dilution of the SC/ST Act by the Supreme Court.

She, however, slammed other leaders of parties in the National Democratic Alliance government for keeping mum on the issue that was close to the heart of millions of Dalits.