AAP will support Centre on 10 pc quota for economically weaker sections: Kejriwal

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said his party will support the NDA government on the constitutional amendment bill for giving 10 per cent quota to "economically weaker" sections and demanded that the ongoing Parliament session be extended for the purpose.

The Delhi chief minister also said that if the Centre drags its feet over the issue, then the constitutional amendment bill will be "merely an election stunt".

In a major move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Union Cabinet Monday cleared a 10 per cent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes, a staunch BJP support base which has shown signs of a drift from the party.

A top government functionary said a constitutional amendment bill will be tabled in Parliament Tuesday, the last day of the Winter Session.

"The govt shud extend Parl session and bring constitutional amendment immediately. Else it is merely an election stunt (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.

The proposed reservation will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation enjoyed by the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes, taking the total reservation to 60 per cent.

The constitutional amendment bill would be required as the constitution does not provide for reservation on the ground of economic conditions. It envisages amendment to Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution.

AAP's Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that the announcement by government is a "welcome gimmick" before the elections.

"The Modi government has come out with a welcome gimmick for reservation to economically weaker upper castes before the polls. Such decisions made from time to time by state governments were struck down by the courts for crossing the 50 percent reservation limit. Is this decision some drama so that it gets rejected by the court?" Singh tweeted.

He demanded the government to call a special session of Parliament to pass the the constitutional amendment bill, and said the AAP would support it.