Quota for economically weak, promises PM

Share:

Last updated on: August 10, 2003 19:13 IST

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Sunday promised to bring a legislation to provide reservation to the economically backward among forward castes in the current Parliament session, if other parties agreed to support it.

He was addressing a mammoth rally in Jaipur on the conclusion of the BJP state unit's parivartan yatra organised to  kick off the party's election campaign for the assembly election in Rajasthan.

Vajpayee also took strong exception to the latest pandemonium in Parliament over defence procurements during Kargil operations saying problems can be solved only by working together and not by raising uproar.

He, however, skipped the contentious issues of Hindutva and Ram temple.

The BJP had also recently suspended its leader Devi Singh Bhati, who leads Social Justice Front, on the issue.

"If other parties support we are ready to introduce a Constitution amendment bill, which requires two-thirds majority in Parliament, on Wednesday when Parliament reopens, but first we should have the confidence that it would not be defeated," he told the crowd, which listened to him braving a heavy downpour.

Emphasising on the need to resolve the issue before elections, Vajpayee said the reservation issue should not pit brother against brother and lead to bitterness.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Share: