BJP criticises Congress vote bank policy

New Delhi, Apr 18 (UNI) The BJP today accused the Congress of trying to provide converted Christians and Muslims the status of Scheduled Caste so as to enable them to avail the benefits of reservations.

"Another example of Congress vote bank policy has come to the fore. Now the party is all in favour of the Ranganath Committee recommendations which call for providing the Scheduled Caste status to the converted Christians and Muslims, the BJP observed in a resolution adopted at its National Office-bearers meeting.

It said the move was aimed at garnering the support of these sections in pursuance of the party's vote bank policy even as considering them as Scheduled Castes was unconstitutional, party spokesman Prakash Javadekar informed.

The resolution said it was an effort to snatch away the reservation benefits provided to the Scheduled Castes and the party would oppose it at any costs.

Mr Javadekar described the Government's decision that the minority institutions were not bound to implement the reservation order as anti-Scheduled Castes.

The resolution, meanwhile, also condemned the Government for tacitly supporting the separatist SIMI organisation and expressed its serious concern over the manner in which China had choked the 'voice of Tibetan people".

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