Amarinder reiterates his stand on Jat reservation

Former Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today reiterated that denying reservation to Jat Sikhs in Punjab was not justified as members of the community had been provided the benefit in other states.
Singh, a former Chief Minister of Punjab, said he had sought the reservation Jat Sikhs in his capacity as the president of the All India Jat Maha Sabha. Besides, he added, the reservation benefits cannot be provided in parts, it must be granted uniformly across the country.
While Jats in nine states have been granted reservation, in the four remaining states, including Punjab, where the Jats have a significant presence have been excluded from this benefit, he said, adding that "it is not justified".

Reacting to the statements of senior party leaders at the Jor Mela yesterday, the former CM said if Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, former chief Shamsher Singh Dullon and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal can convince Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to introduce reservations on economic basis he would also support it.
He, however, said as long as it has been granted on the basis of caste there is no reason that why the people of the same caste residing in different regions should be denied the benefit.