Online edition of India’s National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 24, 2007
For The Gain of the Many and For the Welfare of the Many
Mayawati promises quota for upper castes too in private sector
Special Correspondent
βBSP is keen on implementing social welfare schemes in the Stateβ
They will be based on the Uttar Pradesh model
of social change
BANGALORE: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday called upon the people of the State to enable the BSP to replicate the Uttar Pradesh model of social change and development here.
With the State set to go for the Legislative Assembly elections in a few months, Ms. Mayawati, who was here on a two-day visit to welcome former Minister P.G.R. Sindhia and his followers to BSP, said the party was keen on implementing similar social welfare schemes in the State if it received support from people. Addressing a large convention of party workers, she said, if voted to power at the Centre, the BSP would provide reservation in private sector not only to Dalits, backward classes and minorities but also to the economically weaker among the upper castes.
βThere is a need to amend the Constitution to provide such a reservation. We will amend the Constitution if we come to power at the Centre,β she added. The 10 per cent reservation accorded in the private sector in Uttar Pradesh would be replicated across the country.
There was also the need to extend these benefits to Dalits, who had converted to Christianity. Ms. Mayawati said the oppressed sections were losing their reservation rights in government jobs as the Congress, the BJP and other parties were on a spree of privatisation of government undertakings. The main aim of the BSP, she said, was to build a harmonious society, which would be free from caste frictions and also provide equal opportunities to all communities.
But this dream could not be realised without convincing the upper castes to accept the BSP ideology, she said and asked the party workers to join hands with members of all the communities in the society.
The BSP received a boost with the entry of Mr. P.G.R. Sindhia, who has served as MLA for about 35 years and as a Minister for 16 years.
Mayawati βtargetedβ
Lucknow: Two members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba suicide squad, who apparently wanted to target Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, were on Sunday killed in an encounter. β PTI
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| Monday, December 24, 2007 |
| The arrival of lakhs of BSP supporters from across the State led to traffic snarls in many parts of the City, especially near the Palace Grounds. | |
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The City resonated with βSunday Bluesβ as it came under a Maya spell. thousands of blue flags fluttered on the roads leading to the Palace Grounds, where the UP chief minister and BSP supremo Mayawati addressed a mammoth gathering on Sunday. To make her maiden visit to Karnataka after her triumph in the UP election a memorable event, the BSP painted the City with the BSPβs blue flags, buntings, hoardings, huge cut-outs and festoons in major pockets of the City. Around 25,000 party supporters had gathered at the Palace Grounds. The arrival of lakhs of BSP supporters from across the State led to traffic snarls in many parts of the City, especially near the Palace Grounds. Hundreds of vehicles ferried in the BSP activists from distant parts of Karnataka. The inflow of hundreds of vehicles and the BSP workers roaming on the City roads led to chaotic traffic. Cops had a tough time managing the teeming crowds. Although elaborate arrangements had been made to ensure smooth traffic flow, at the end of the function, all arrangements collapsed, when huge unmanageable crowds started emerging from the Palace Grounds in the evening. Everywhere, there were people flouting traffic norms. Mayawati used the rally to virtually launch the BSPβs election campaign in Karnataka where she hopes to do a UP. She said the BSP would strive to replicate its successful “political chemistry” achieved in UP in other parts of the country to ensure an equal footing to all sections of society. |
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