Quota issue: BJP executive pass unanimous resolution

New Delhi, May 30: Even though the BJP National Executive today endorsed an unanimous resolution adopting a middle path on the OBC reservation issue, the meeting witnessed deep divisions within the party on the controversial subject.

Party leaders like Sushil Modi, Bangaru Dattatreya and Gopinath Munde wanted the BJP to adopt a clear cut stand supporting 27 per cent reservation for OBCs, but Party President Rajnath Singh's view prevailed that the BJP should adopt a middle path supporting the reservation but demanding that economically backward among upper castes must also get benefit of quota.

However, Mr Narendra Modi, Vinay Katiyar and many other leaders reminded the party that its vote bank consists of both the OBC as well as forward caste people so it would be better to adopt a middle path which aims at reservation without compromising on merit and excellence. They also said that the party should ask for reservation for economically backward sections. They also demanded that the minority educational institutions should be brought in the ambit of reservation.

The division within the BJP was especially significant in view of senior party leader L K Advani having made a statement stressing the need for a Committee to be set up for the review of the entire quota issue.

Mr Rajnath Singh, however, denied that the party was divided on the reservation issue. He said that the resolution was adopted unanimously and the party has the same stand that it supports reservation but it should not create division with the society.

''We are not dilly dallying on the issue of reservation. Our stand on the issue is clear. I have already clarified it in clarified it in my presidential address yesterday and today the party adopted unanimously a resolution on this issue,'' he told reporters.

However, he parried whether the BJP favoured a panel to examine the issue as demanded by Mr Advani.

Mr Advani today said that he has already made his stand on the issue clear.

Mr Vinay Katiyar said that the UPA government has made law only to divide people on the basis of caste by giving reservation. He said that the BJP has a long standing view supporting reservation and it had supported the Constitution Amendment in Parliament. At the Executive also everyone was unanimous that the benefit of reservation should not only be given to the backward castes but also to economically backward upper castes people to help them raise their life style, he said.

''Why should poor among the upper castes suffer due to their birth. They should also get the reservation benefit. Moreover, minority educational institutions should not be exempted from the ambit of reservation.'' Asked about the demand for exclusion of creamy layer from the ambit of reservation, he said that it was a little known fact that even in the present rules affluent people do not get the benefit of reservation.

UNI