BHOPAL: Opposition BJP’s plans to rake up the issue of delay in implementation of 10% quota to economically weaker sections (EWS) in Madhya Pradesh suffered a rude jolt on Wednesday, as the Chief Minister Kamal Nath announced implementing the quota provision for economically weaker segments of general category in the state.
Not only did Nath announce implementing the 10% quota for EWS among general category, but also announced that the state government will increase the reservation for the other backward category (OBC) from 14% to 27%.
The CM made the announcement at a public gathering in Sagar district, after distributing certificates of agricultural loan waiver to beneficiary farmers under Jai Kisan Fasal Rin Maafi Yojana.
With the CM paving the passage for implementing the EWS quota in the state also and enhancing the reservation for OBC, the Congress seems to have made a well planned effort to dent the BJP’s traditional voter base comprising the OBC and General Category voters. In total, this segment forms above 65% of state’s population.
During the recently concluded budget session of Vidhan Sabha, the BJP members had created ruckus over delay in implementing the 10% EWS quota in the state. The state government had told that a sub- committee had been constituted to decide the modalities for implementing the 10% EWS quota in the state. The BJP had subsequently alleged that the Congress government in the state was doing injustice with poorer sections of general category by delaying the implementation of the EWS reservation.
Importantly, the backlash of the general category voters over the amendment in the SC/ST Atrocities Act had cost the BJP dear in last year’s assembly polls, particularly in the Gwalior-Chambal region, where the saffron party was wiped out, ultimately bringing the Congress back to power in the central Indian state after 15 years.
The BJP was planning to make delay in denying the 10% EWS quota benefit a major issue in the coming Lok Sabha polls, but the CM’s announcement has snatched from the opposition party a major poll issue.
Meanwhile, later in the day, the CM while addressing a program of a news channel said that an atmosphere is being created in the country that the country was unsafe before 2014 and became secure soon after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.
He asked the PM whether the Indian Air Force, Army and Navy existed because of him. He said that Pandit Nehru created institutions like the Indian Military Academy, National Defence Academy, Military School to protect the country. He strengthened the Army. He said that creating such a situation that the country was insecure before 2014 and that now it has become secure in the hands of Prime Minister Modi is like misleading the country.
Recalling the Pakistan war in 1971 he said that how the courageous Indian Army had caught the Pakistan jawans and made them prisoners of war. He said that the whole country is proud of Indian Army and our jawans.
The Chief Minister said that to create such an environment and to link this situation with nationalism is like misleading the masses. He said that PM Modi and BJP need not teach nationalism to Congress and the public. He asked if BJP has any freedom fighters? Veteran Congress leaders have fought for independence There is no martyr in the BJP.