Mayawati favours reservation for economically weaker sections

Ludhiana, Nov 17 (UNI) The Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati today asserted that her party strongly favoured reservation for all economically weaker sections of the society.

Addressing a well-attended 'Sarv Samaj Bhaichara Banao Virat Samagam'' . a mega convention to promote brotherhood among all communities, held at Dana Mandi here, Ms Mayawati also denied that her party was merely Dalit-centric and anti-upper caste.

''We do favour reservations for the Bahujan and Dalits but I have even met the prime minister and conveyed to him that the BSP would support if there was a need to amend the constitution to extend reservation for economically weaker sections of the society,'' she said.

The BSP wanted reservation for the economically weaker sections in private sector as well, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pardesh said adding that in UP her government had instructed the private sector companies to reserve jobs for such candidates.

Ms Mayawati lashed out at both Congress and BJP for ''wrongly painting BSP as being anti-upper castes'' and accused them of being hypocrites for ''unabashedly seeking BSP support to form governments whether at Centre or in States.'' ''In UP we have proved that we are not against any caste. The deserving people from the upper castes have been given ample political representation and important political and other posts in the state,'' she said.

She exhorted people to beware of such parties which ''indulged in false propaganda and openly took money from industrialists to win polls on money power''.

On the other hand the BSP was the only party which had come up due to the support from its workers and masses. It had come to power in the most populous state like Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time on the basis of its the mass support due to its good work, she said.

''It is obvious that without support from all sections. it is not possible for the party to form government either in state or at the Centre. We have proved in Uttar Pradesh that BSP had ensured development and justice for all sections of the society,'' Ms Mayawati said.

She also stressed that her government had also launched a special drive to curb crime and activity of criminal elements in the state and called upon the people of Punjab to back BSP if they wanted development, justice, and rule of law and order for all.

Ms Mayawati also paid rich tributes to former BSP president Kashiram saying ''this Dalit leader from Punjab worked for the welfare of Bahujan and Dalit community and projected and fought for their cause at the national level.'' Criticising the Congress, the BJP and their allies, who have had a stint in holding power at the Centre, the UP chief minister said that despite 60 years of rule none of them did anything substantial for uplift of Dalits and Bahujans, who continue to be suffering socially and economically even today.

''In fact, due to inflation and wrong policies of these parties, every economically weak section of the society, irrespective of the caste or community, was suffering with even the essential commodities and services going beyond their reach,'' she said adding that only the BSP rule would address all these problems.

She also welcomed about a dozen local leaders from various parties who joined BSP on the occasion.

BSP's Punjab unit chief Avtar Singh Karimpuri and BSP National Secretary, incharge Punjab Narender Kashyap also spoke on the occasion.

UNI