BJP working with anti-reservation mindset: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: Charging BJP with having an anti- reservation mindset, BSP president Mayawati today said her party will not accept any change in the prevailing quota system for Dalits and Backwards.

"BJP is working with anti-reservation mindset and has been misleading the people on this issue, specially during election time...my party is against any change in the prevailing system of 50 per cent quota for Dalits and Backwards," she said in a statement.

Reacting to BJP president Amit Shah's comments in the media on reservation issue, Mayawati said her party is also in favour of extending quota benefits to the poor among the upper castes by enhancing the quota limit above 50 per cent by bringing constitutional amendment.

"It is because of the wrong policies adopted by the successive Congress and BJP governments at the Centre that the financial condition of the poor among the upper castes has deteriorated and there is a need to extend reservation facility to them separately based on their financial status and not on the basis of their caste or community," she said.

"For this the reservation quota can be enhanced above 50 per cent by bringing a constitutional amendment without compromising with the quota of Dalits and Backwards and BSP has been demanding it from long," she said.

Mayawati claimed that Shah has tried to mislead people by saying that if the poor among the upper castes and minorities are given quota on financial status it will cut into the share of Dalits and Backwards.

There is a need for BJP and RSS to change their mentality especially on the issue of reservation and work in national interest, Mayawati added.