Minority institutions should not be exempt from quota: BJP

New Delhi, May 30 (UNI) Asserting that there were no differences within the party on the issue of reservation, the BJP today said that it was opposed to exclusion of minority institutions from discharging their share of social justice obligations and there should be no reservation on the basis of relgion.

Expressing its dissatifaction over the way the issue had been handled by the UPA Government because its aim was not dispensation of social justice but to create social tensions, the BJP demanded that the Congress-led coalition must ensure that space for merit was not squeezed and excellence of institutions is not compromised.

Efforts must be taken to ensure that benefits of reservations must reach economically weaker sections of upper castes. Without using creamy layer concept, the party said that reservation benefits should reach the most deprived among the socially deprived sections.

A committee of experts must be set up to examine that these aspects are subserved as building consensus is a must for such initiatives.

The resolution passed by the BJP was consistent with the known stand. BJP Spokesman Arun Jaitley denied there was differences within the party about the reservation. "At the end of the day we have an unanimous resolution", he remarked.

He said the BJP supported the Constitutional amendment to provide reservations in higher educational institutions but while doing so, the attempts to divide the society must be avoided.

The party also regretted that the initiatives taken by the previous NDA government to create six All India Institutes of Medical Sciences in the country had been dumped by the UPA Government which was increasing the intake capacity of institutions of higher education. The UPA Government also rubbed salt on the backward classes wounded psyche by winding up two Commissions constituted by the NDA government to submit their recommendations for the Most Backward Classes and Economically Backward Castes, Mr Jaitley said.

UNI MCN RP ND1744