Bangalore, February 04: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday warned the Centre of launching a public movement if it did not drop its proposal to carve out a 4.5 per cent sub-quota for minorities from the 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central government jobs and educational institutions.
A public meeting of prominent leaders of all the backward class communities organised by the party's Backward Classes' Morcha expressed concern over the decision since it would reduce their reservation quota. Terming this as an injustice to OBCs, the morcha declared that it would take its fight to the President and that the party would not rest till justice was done.
BJP State unit president K.S. Eshwarappa said the party would launch an agitation in every village against the UPA's decision to reduce the OBC reservation quota. It would also organise a massive public meeting in April in Bangalore.
Stir threat
Pointing out that the UPA was planning to introduce a Bill in Parliament regarding the proposed reservation, Mr. Eshwarappa remarked: “There will be a rebellion in every street if that happens.”
He said the party would present a memorandum to the Centre through Governor H.R. Bhardwaj in about a week appealing for withdrawal of the decision. Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda described the public meeting of OBCs as a warning bell to the UPA Government.
Party national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka affairs Dharmendra Pradhan made it clear that the party was not against welfare of minorities, but it should not be at the cost of OBCs.
Speaking on the occasion, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa predicted an early election to the Lok Sabha.
He urged the party to strive for winning at least 23 of the 28 seats in the State to help the NDA to form its government at the Centre.
Party national general secretary Ananth Kumar asked the party workers to burn the copies of the orders on reducing the OBC reservation quota in all the prominent circles of the State to send a strong message to the Centre.
Morcha president P.C. Mohan spoke. Several Ministers, including R. Ashok, Suresh Kumar, Jagadish Shettar and Govind Karjol, attended the meeting.
--Agencies