Shalinitai Patil defies NCP stand on reservation issue

Mumbai, May 23 (UNI) Defying her party stand on the issue, Nationalist Congress Party MLA Shalinitai Patil today called for a halt to caste-based reservations, saying they should be implemented only for the economically backward.

Her statement has drawn flak from the NCP high command with party general secretary and MLC Gurunath Kulkarni remarking that there have been several instances in the past when Ms Patil had taken a stand divergent to that of the party.

''If she continues to defy the party, the NCP will be forced to take action against her,'' he added.

Mr Kulkarni, however, did not spell out as to what action could be taken against Ms Patil. He said if she was unhappy with the party stand, she could quit.

Ms Patil, who is the NCP MLA from Koregaon, struck a defiant note and said she was not worried about the repurcussions of her statements. She also alleged that the Democratic Front government in the state had not fulfilled its promises to the people.

She alleged that the DF Government had failed to convince the legislators on the importance of the Krishna Valley project and said this was a grave failure.

Later, Mr Kulkarni told reporters at the NCP headquarters, that Ms Patil had been directed several times in the past to express her personal opinions only on the party platform and not in public.

Regarding the party stand on reservation, he said NCP is of the opinion that reservations gauranteed by the Constitution to the weaker sections of the society should continue along with reservations for EBC people.

UNI JM MAZ AK KN2003