The issue of Jat reservation dominated the well-attended joint Congress-RLD election rally held here on Thursday. Leaders after leader, both the Central and state, announced that the community deserved to be brought under the Central list of other backward classes (OBCs).
Setting the tone, AICC general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Digvijay Singh, while informing the people that he had come with messages from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said, “When in many of the state lists of OBCs, Jat community find a place, then why not in the Central list.” He informed the gathering that he along with RLD chief Ajit Singh had met the Prime Minister, home minister and Mrs Gandhi to request them to consider inclusion of Jat in the Central list of OBCs.
“The process of inclusion is on and we will soon be able to get Jat included in the Central list,” Mr Digvijay Singh made poll promise to gathering in the backyard of the Jatland.
Considered to be a leader of the Jats in Western Uttar Pradesh, which is considered to be dominated by the community, the RLD chief maintained that the alliance leaders, if they talk about reservation, they are not doing any favour. “Since the community is already in the OBC lists in many states, why can’t they be in Central list?” he said, adding that he always wondered, “how come a Jat is backward in Madhya Pradesh, but not in Delhi (Central list)?”
Mr Ajit Singh maintained that by providing 4.5 per cent to Muslims out of the 27 per cent OBC quota, the Central government has not done any favour to the community. “They were already there. By this the government has just ensured that they get what they deserve,” he added.
Younf RLD leader, while hitting out at BSP government in the state, said chief minister Mayawati’s slogan of “sarvjan hitay, sarvjan sukhay” has turned out to be “sarvjan dabay, sarvjan dukhay”.
Incidentally, Mr Chaudhary’s wife Charu Singh had also come to listen to the leaders at the rally. She had come about an hour before the top leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, arrived on the stage.