Rajbhar to meet Shah over sub-quota issue

Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar, who had warned of parting ways with the National Democratic Alliance over the sub-quota demand, said Friday the matter would be taken up with BJP president Amit Shah next week.

Rajbhar, the backward class minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Uttar Pradesh, has been vocal about implementing an expert group recommendation on sub-categorisation of the 27-per cent Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation into three categories to benefit the most-backward castes.

"A meeting with the BJP president Amit Shah has been fixed for March 4 (Monday) during which all issues, including the implementation of social justice committee recommendations will be taken up," Rajbhar told reporters after a programme at Rasra in Ballia district.

"The matter over continuation in the alliance with the BJP has not yet been resolved," the SBSP leader said.

Rajbhar had earlier threatened to part ways with the BJP if recommendations of the social justice committee were not implemented by February 24, but had later decided to defer a decision in view of the meeting with saffron party leadership.

Besides the implementation of the recommendations, the SBSP has also been demanding allotment of an office for his party in Lucknow.