Parties across the board hail quota bill; Oppn terms it 'election stunt'

Parties across the board Tuesday extended their support to the government's move to provide 10 per cent reservation in education and government jobs to economically weaker sections, even as the Opposition called it "election stunt" ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

A landmark bill seeking to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education for the general category poor was passed by the Lok Sabha Tuesday, with most parties backing the measure.

The Congress said it supported the bill, but doubted the government's intentions. It said the move was merely a "poll gimmick" aimed at political gains in the upcoming elections.

Various parties, including the BSP, SP, TDP and DMK, also called it the BJP's poll stunt, but welcomed the move.

The Cabinet had on Monday cleared the quota for economically weaker sections. The move followed as the upper castes, a staunch support base of the BJP, have shown signs of drifting away from the ruling party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, likely to be held in April-May this year.

BJP president Amit Shah described the bill as a "gift" by the Narendra Modi government to the youth from poor families, saying it will open the door for their 'golden future'.

Taking on the Opposition over the issue, he said it was a lesson for other political parties who had been doing appeasement politics for years.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh described the passage of the bill as being in the "national interest" and said, "Those poor who were not covered under the ambit of reservation can now avail its benefits. It had been a demand of people since a long time. I am assured that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha also."