Vacant reserved category posts at govt depts show BJP's 'casteist mindset': Mayawati

Lucknow: BSP supremo Mayawati Tuesday accused the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in the state of taking scant interest in filling reserved category posts at government departments, saying it was indicative of the party’s “narrow and casteist mindset”.

“Had the BJP governments shown same seriousness in filling the vacant posts meant for the SCs/STs and OBCs that they had shown in giving reservation on economic basis to the Marathas, members of these deprived sections would have benefitted a little,” the BSP chief said.

“This only goes on to prove the narrow thinking and casteist mindset of the BJP governments,” she stressed.

Referring to the Uttar Pradesh government’s move of bringing 17 OBC castes under the SC list, the BSP president said this would only increase people’s woes.

Earlier, a similar move was made by the SP government to gain political mileage, she said.

The BSP chief said the manner in which the quota limit was being hiked above 50 per cent in some states, the demand for increasing the quota for SCs/STs and other backward sections in proportion to their population would gain ground.

The BSP president also reviewed organisational matters of Bundelkhand and western UP and asked her partymen to visit those belonging to the “sarv samaj” to take stock of their problems.

Mayawati also expressed concern over the law and order situation. She said not only the poor and deprived sections, those belonging to the “sarv samaj” were also victims of the “poor” law and order situation.