Centre ready for reservation on eco grounds: Jaiswal

Gwalior, June 3: Union Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal today said the Congress favoured providing reservation to economically weaker sections but all the parties have to come forward in this regard.

''The reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) was passed in Parliament with the consent of all parties. However, some parties were distancing from it now,'' Mr Jaiswal told reporters here today.

He said the Congress believed that reservation must be granted on economic grounds for poorer sections but was constrained by the limit of maximum 50 per cent reservation.

Mr Jaiswal said the Congress was prepared to lead if all parties agreed to provide reservation on economic grounds.

Earlier, Mr Jaiswal, while addressing Congress backward class convention, strongly advocated reservation stating that family members had to support a brother if he was weak.

Admitting that this would hurt youths, he said one had to forget his pain for the family's sake. Everybody had to be empowered in order to fulfil the dream of placing India among the world' top 10 superpowers.

Guna MP Jyotiraditya Scindia said an environment of equality had to be created in society without referring to religion and caste.

UNI