'Raj Govt should clarify stand on dispute over Meena surname'

Insisting that surname 'Mina' and 'Meena' are the same, Congress leader and Union minister Namo Narain Meena today demanded clarification from the Rajasthan government on its stand over the legal dispute regarding the surname of the community.
He said that there are several local dialects in the state and pronunciation of the surname in each dialect and region is different but meaning is the same so there should be no unnecessary controversy over the name.
"Controversy is being created unnecessarily on 'Mina' or 'Meena'. We have local dialects and each dialect has its own accent but the meaning is same. State government and courts should clarify it and experts of Rajasthani language should also be consulted," Meena told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

"Difference comes in spoken and written language but the meaning remains same so there should be no controversy over this issue," the MoS for Finance, who was in the city to inaugurate branches of State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, said.
Benefits of reservation to 'Meena' community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category has been challenged in courts here on the basis of a clarification by the Centre which says that it is 'Mina' community that falls in the ST category.
The Rajasthan High Court had issued a notice to the state government last week seeking clarification on the reservation given to 'Meena' and 'Mina' communities, while hearing a petition challenging the priority to 'Meena' over 'Mina' in appointments in teachers recruitment exam-2012.

The minister also accused BJP of getting into power by misleading people in the state Assembly elections and said that the saffron party in the state will not be able to repeat such impressive victory in upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

"The performance of Congress party in Lok Sabha will be fine. BJP created misunderstanding among people during assembly elections but in LS elections, it will not be able do that again," Meena said.
He said that Congress is doing scrutiny for ticket distribution and it is not decided from where he would contest this time.
"It is up to the party leadership to decide who will contest from which constituency," he said.