Advani for spl actions for backward Muslims, upper caste poor

New Delhi, May 17 (UNI) Senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani today welcomed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Maywati's statement that the poor among the upper castes too needed special attention and interventions, and also called for taking similar steps for educationally backward Muslims.

Addressing the two-day international conference on 'Empowerment of SCs, STs and Minorities', Mr Advani said the Indian society sufferred great inequalities due to historical reasons, but any view of the picture of inequality would be incomplete if one failed to see the deprivation of suffered by the poor belonging to the'' so-called upper castes.'' ''In this conetxt, I welcome the comments of the newly-elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati, that even poor among the ''forward'' castes and communities deserve the benefit of affirmative action.

He said the educational status of Muslims, especially in the north and eastern states, was very grave and should be taken care of, while praising the Muslim leadership of the South for taking steps to enhance educationbal opportunities for the community.

Mr Advani said it was necessary to view the issue of empowerment in a holistic and national perspective, with due sensitivity to gender aspect and also to the growing rural-urban divide.

He, however, said there were no two opinions on giving primacy to the need for all round empowerment of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

''We want to see the empowerment of every Indian, irrespective of the caste or community or region they belong to,'' he said.