MYSURU: Union Minister for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale said here on Saturday that the Union government is mulling increasing the reservation to SC/STs based on the 2011 census. He said there is a growing demand from Dalits to increase the quota and the government is thinking about it. But there is a 50 per cent cap set by the Supreme Court, he added.
Asked how the government passed an amendment to introduce 10 per cent reservation for economically backward among the upper caste, he said the Narendra Modi government wanted to extend education and economic support to the poor even among upper castes.
Athawale, who is also the president of the Republican Party of India, admitted that the inclusion of too many castes in the SC reservation list has harmed the interest of untouchables. “Due to political reasons, there is a tendency to consider adding more castes to the SC/ST list. But it has robbed benefits from real sufferers,” he added.
He distanced himself, BJP and the government from the statement of former minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa that Dalits who are economically well-off and are politically connected should give up reservation.
“This is an individual opinion and not that of the party. One should know that the Constitution has ensured caste-based and earnings-based reservation. If untouchability ends tomorrow, there will be no question of claiming reservation,” he said.
He condemned the recent incident of a Dalit boy’s family being fined for reportedly touching an idol at a temple at Ullerahalli in Malur taluk of Kolar district. “Such incidents and practice of untouchability does not happen in major temples, but in rural pockets and small temples in villages. Such incidents made Dr BR Ambedkar embrace Buddhism,” he added.
Asked about lakhs of SC/ST students denied scholarship due to a technical error and many of them giving up higher education not being able to pay the fee, he said, “The 60 per cent contribution from the Centre has been released in July. I will write it to the authorities in the state to look into it,” he said.
MODI WILL RETURN IN 2024, SAYS NDA ALLY
Union Minister for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale said here on Saturday that PM Narendra Modi will again come back to power by winning 400 seats in 2024. He said it is not easy to replace a leader like Modi, who has taken everyone along in building a new India and has brought in changes across the country. He said Congress has lost its ground and people have lost faith in Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. “Congress performed badly under his leadership in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Even if Kejriwal, Nitish, Pawar or Mamata come together, they cannot unseat Modi,” he said.