‘BJP got tug-of-war kind of quota for OBC’

Bhopal: After the Supreme Court’s order this week restoring

OBC

reservations while keeping total reservation in the state at not more than 50%, a dissatisfied OBC Mahasabha called a state-wide bandh which received mixed responses on Saturday. State Congress had announced full support to the OBC Mahasabha’s call for bandh.It seemed on Saturday that the OBC society was divided over the reservation restoration status. While one section was felicitating chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan at his official residence, another section led by the OBC Mahasabha was out on the streets asking traders to down the shutters and observe the bandh.Former chief minister Kamal Nath on Saturday said, “We are fully supporting the bandh called by the OBC Mahasabha. Gross injustice has been done to the OBC category today. Since there is more than 50% OBC population in

Madhya Pradesh

, our government made a law for implementation of 27% reservation for the community.”He also alleged that the BJP government failed to present the case before the Apex Court. “The Shivraj Singh Chouhan government did not submit the report in a proper manner despite getting several months for it. Supreme Court has also observed in its verdict that it does not accept the report presented by the government,” Kamal Nath said.“Now they are implementing a tug-o-war kind of reservation, which will be gross injustice to the OBC society. Some place they will get 5% reservation, some place they will get 7% reservation and they are campaigning as though reservations have been given. The question is how much reservation has been secured, what is the percentage of it. They are just trying to fool people with untruthful claims,” Nath accused.Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Rajmani Patel who belongs to the OBC category was out since morning to support the bandh. Patel hit the streets in the state capital with supporters and joined the OBC Mahasabha activists. Speaking to reporters, Rajmani Patel said, “There is a major problem facing the country today that when there is 52% OBC population, why is their interest not being taken seriously?” He also argued, “It is a matter concerning the biggest group of people in the nation and their benefits. OBC strength is the basis of development in this country. It their rights are taken away, then the country gets weakened. This is a struggle for our rights.”Minister for urban administration Bhupendra Singh, however, claimed the bandh was unsuccessful. “It was because of the Congress party that OBCs did not get reservation. We wanted the elections two years ago, nominations were filed, candidates submitted their forms.”