(Repeating with corrections )

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, May 27 (UNI) Taking strong exception to Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's diatribe against Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh on the reservation issue, the Left parties today defended Mr Singh, saying the UP Chief Minister was ''playing politics''.

They said reservation should not be seen in isolation but as a much larger socio-political issue facing the nation.

''It is now Mr Yadav who is politicising the issue,'' said CPI(M) leaders in a guarded reaction, adding, ''it is not good that Mr Yadav has made such a statement.'' Mr Yadav yesterday said Mr Singh should be jailed for raking up the reservation issue during the Assembly polls in four states. He also criticised the Centre for implementing the reservation policy ''in phases'' and its decision to increase the number of seats to offset any impact of reservation.

Talking to UNI, CPI leaders A B Bardhan and D Raja said, ''Indeed, he is playing politics now. Let him come out in the open whether he is for reservation or not.'' The CPI leaders said Mr Yadav's remarks simply demonstrated that he was trying to give a political colour to the whole issue.

''He wants UP-centric politicisation of the issue.'' Mr Raja, party National Secretary, said reservation was a part of the larger affirmative action to integrate the downtrodden and the neglected sections of the society into the scheme of things.

To Mr Yadav's remark that the HRD minister had raked up the issue to seek political mileage, the CPI leaders said in such a huge country, the elections were an ongoing process. ''Elections do take place in some part or the other...'' The CPI leaders alleged that Mr Yadav was making all these allegations as he had to fight the Congress in assembly polls early next year.

CPI(M) Floor Leader in the Lok Sabha Basudev Achariya said Mr Yadav's remark showed his ''growing frustration''.

''While my party is not going into who gains or who does not ... We only know that the Left and other UPA allies have fought unitedly to get the 93rd constitutional amendment, enabling 27 per cent quota for OBCs in higher educational institutions in letter and spirit,'' Mr Achariya said.

Even the BJP was part of the all party consensus on the issue, the CPI(M) veteran added.

Meanwhile, the differences between the CPI and the CPI(M) over the creamy layer still existed with the former not favouring the creamy layer distinction and the ''big brother'' saying it had yet not given up its position.

According to CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, the government's formula was to increase the seats by 54 per cent, which might happen in two years.

While the increase in seats would be done in phases, the reservation for OBCs would be on the basis of 27 per cent of total seats.

UNI KSA PK HS1534

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