JD-S says OBC quota helps in uplift of the underprivileged

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) The Janata Dal (Secular) today welcomed the Supreme Court's decision upholding reservation for OBCs in educational institutions saying that positive affirmation had contributed immensely to the uplift of the poor and underprivileged though more needed to be done.

JD(S) General Secretary and spokesman Kunwar Danish Ali said the party always believed in reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Castes and minorities in employment and education.

In a statement here, he pointed out that the Karnataka government, under his leadership, had been among the first states to implement quotas for OBCs and Muslims in 1995 itself. He suggested that the Karnataka model should be adopted as a model formula for the country to ensure social equality and justice for the people without creating divisions among them.

However, Mr Danish Ali said, the party was also of the view that to maintain cohesion, equality and solidarity in society, all political parties should evolve through consensus a social and economic support mechanism for the poor among the Forward Classes.

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