Quota should not squeeze merit space, excellence

New Delhi, May 29: Targetting the UPA government for its 'allround failure,' BJP president Rajnath Singh today asked the Centre to adopt a 'consensus approach' for implementing reservation to ensure that social justice initiatives do not compromise merit space and excellence.

Addressing the opening session of the two-day BJP National Executive, Mr Singh, in his maiden Presidential address to the gathering, said the party had supported the Constitutional amendment providing for reservations in institutions of higher education and added the way the UPA government was handling the issue, left ''no one in doubt that its objective was not to dispense social justice but to create social tension.'' He said reservation should not be divisive damaging the social fabric. ''Consensus building is a must for such initiatives,'' Mr Singh said in his 12'' page address touching upon various burning issues.

The BJP President said efforts must be made to ensure that the benefits of reservation reach the most deprived among the socially deprived sections. The Government must ensure that economically weaker sections of upper castes are provided reservation benefits.

He said the BJP was against exclusion of minority-run institutions from providing reservation to the OBCs and added there should be no quotas on religious basis.

Mr Singh blamed the Congress for violating the Constitution by providing reservation in government jobs to Muslims in Andhra Pradesh and for post graduation courses in Aligarh Muslim University. ''It went one step further, asking for the Muslim head-count in the Army,'' he said.

Since its inception as the Jana Sangh in 1951 and as BJP in 1980, Mr Singh said the party had left an indelible mark in political life by providing a stable coalition government at the Centre between 1998 to 2004. The government created newer milestones in running a smooth and efficient coalition.

''We excelled oursleves in idealogy, organisation and coalition as leader of the NDA coalition,'' he added.

He said the BJP's identity as a distinct party, hopes and expectations were also high and it was time for the party to ponder and introspect over its role.

Discipline was the BJP's strength although it had been violated during the past few years. ''If we cannot be firm in enforcing discipline, the party will meet the same fate as other parties,'' he said.

Analysing the causes for defeat in the 2004 Parliament elections, Mr Singh said the fact that more than 50 per cent of sitting MPs failed to get elected was the main reason for the defeat.

He said ''there was something lacking apparently in our efforts to create a place for ourselves in the people's heart. We have to ponder over this fact.'' ''There has to be constant communication between the people and people's representatives. It is necessary to keep it live and continuous,'' he added.

UNI