Modi government committed to OBC reservation, say Rajnath, Ananth Kumar

New Delhi, July 25: The Narendra Modi government on Monday asserted that it is committed to reservation for Other Backward Class (OBC) with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh clarifying that the notice to selected UPSC candidates to indicate about "creamy layer" is an old practice and is done only to "avoid litigation" in future.

"This information is sought to indicate whether such successful candidates come under creamy layer category or not only to avoid that the candidates do not face any litigation in future," he told the Lok Sabha.

Such a notice is being given since 2004 and is only part of a policy decision, he said adding by such enquiries "no interest of any OBC candidate" will be harmed.

"Is sey kewal jaan kari mangi jaati hae. Is ke elwawa kucch bhi nahi (They are only seeking information and nothing more than this)," Singh said responding to issues raised by Dharmendra Yadav (Samajwadi Party) and Jai Prakash Narain Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal) during zero hour.

Questioning why such enquiries are being sought from successful selected candidates, Dharmendra Yadav said in terms of their policy approach towards OBC reservation, both the Congress and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were the same.

"The Congress has been wrong on this and now BJP is doing more harm to these backward communities," he alleged.

The RJD MP alleged that there is a "big conspiracy" to end the reservation policy for the OBCs.

Countering them, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar also said: "The government of Narendra Modi is sincerely committed to the reservation of OBCs."

"If any government has done enough for OBC communities, it is the Narendra Modi government," he added, even as number of opposition members remained unsatisfied with the replies from the ministers.

To a question whether OBC government employees will be discriminated against in the recent Pay Commission report, the Home Minister said there will be nothing that can hamper the backward class, yet if there are some issues he would "examine" them and assured that no backward community's interest will be harmed.

IANS