By Kulsum Mustafa,
Lucknow: Jan Kranti Party chief and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Kalyan Singh, on Friday came down heavily on all political parties trying to appease the Muslims before the state assembly elections by dangling the carrot of reservation before them.
“Reservation based on religion is not acceptable to my party, it is just a poll gimmick, and all these parties (Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party) are only trying to lure the Muslims through these announcements. It is not right,” said Singh, a Lodh leader who was Uttar Pradesh’s chief Minister when the Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya on 6th December 1992.
“First Salman Khursheed announced 9 per cent quota for Muslims, Mayawati went one step further and made it 15 per cent, not to be beaten in the game Mulayam Singh went further ahead and made it 18 per cent. And all this to be carved out of the 27 per cent quota allocated for the Other Backward castes (OBC). No I will not allow this,” said Singh who was addressing a press conference at the party office and official residence in Mall Avenue.
Ironically the leader had no qualms in handing over a three page press release to the media persons announcing the name and caste break up of each of the 248 candidates who will be contesting the assembly elections on JKP tickets in the state. To make the obvious more clear even a total tally of each caste was separately calculated and written in the press release.
While the major chunk — 128 tickets — have been given to OBC the general category has 69, SC 49, there are 36 from other castes and two Muslims have also been given tickets by JKP.
It was indeed a blatant and vulgar display of caste politics at its worst.