Quota: Gowda dares DMK to amend Constitution

Bangalore, May 25: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today dared the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a key partner in the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, to amend the Constitution to provide reservation to minorities in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to newspersons here, he referred to reports that the minority DMK Government intended to implement reservation for minorities in Tamil Nadu and said such an attempt by the Andhra Pradesh Government had been struck down by the Supreme Court. He dared the DMK to take up the matter with the UPA and bring in necessary constitutional amendment.

Referring to the reservation controversy raging in the country, Mr Gowda said none of the national level political parties was aware of the gravity of the situation. Let them take a leaf out of the progressive reservation policy implemented in Karnataka, he added.

Declining to comment further, he said he would take up the issue in Parliament when the Bill on reservation was taken up for discussion during the winter session.

UNI