Deve Gowda challenges Sonia Gandhi to adopt 27 per cent reservation

Bangalore, Apr 11 (UNI) Former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) National President H D Deve Gowda today challenged the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi to prevail upon the Centre to adopt the Karnataka-model of the reservation which had ensured the 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Classes in jobs and educational purpose.

Addressing party State Office bearers and District Presidents here, he said that the Supreme Court, in per se, has not opposed 27 per cent quota for the OBC's, but instead had suggested having a clear-cut yardstick in identifying the OBCs.

Mr Gowda said that the Apex Court had struck down the UPA government's 27 per cent reservation policy for OBCs as it was done on the basis of 1932 census. The yardstick adopted to ensure 27 per cent reservation for admission into the IIMs and IITs was unscientific and it needs to be reviewed, he said.

He said that the people belonging to OBC's in Karnataka were enjoying 27 per cent reservation both in government jobs and admissions to the educational institutions as per the reservation policy of the erstwhile Janata Party and it should be extended to all in the country. The Karnataka government was the only State in the country which has ensured reservation for the people belonging to Minority community, he said.

Claiming that JD(S) was the only party which can guide the nation towards progress, Mr Gowda alleged that the economic policies pursued by the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and the UPA government has proved disastrous to the country and people were already showing their ire against it.

Clarifying that he never opposed Metro Rail project for Bangalore Mr Gowda said that as he hisself had been responsible for the realisation of the Delhi Metro Project, how could be oppose the Project for his own State.

UNI