SP attacks BSP over SC quota recommendation

Lucknow, Mar 6 (UNI) Launching a scathing attack on the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government in Uttar Pradesh, main opposition Samajwadi Party today said the former's recommendation of Schedule Caste status to 16 were communities was a mere ''political gimmick'.

Leader of the opposition in legislative council Dayaram Prajapati, MLA Vishambhar Prasad Nishad and SP leader Sitaram Nishad while addressing a press conference here today said Chief Minister Mayawati had been playing politics by recommending inclusion of 16 castes including Nishad, Kashyap and Bind in the SC category.

'' To bring such recommendation into effect SC reservation quota had to be increased, which is 21 per cent at present. However, the reservation percentage could not exceed 50 per cent,'' they said.

Thus, such act would bring no fruit and the CM's reccomendation to increase SC quota to 25 per cent is just a political game, they added.

Denouncing the Uttar Pradesh government's action of framing and booking people of such castes under fake cases, the leaders said, if Mayawati was their well wisher, she should withdrew cases against them, which was not done yet.

''We will stand united against the BSP in every electoral battle,'' they asserted.

They had asked the UPA government at the centre to reject Mayawati's recommendation letter and include these castes in the SC category under the recommendation made in the previous regime of Mulayam Singh Yadav.

UNI PDM JAS GT AS1934