New Delhi, Dec 19 (ANI): A day after the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister demanded an increase in the minority quota including Muslim community, lawmakers of the ruling Congress Party on Monday hit out at Mayawati, saying she has raised the issue only on the eve of the upcoming assembly polls in the state.
Stating that Mayawati did not think about the Muslims as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the last four and a half years, Congress MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi accused the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief of playing politics ahead of the polls.
"Just because there are elections coming up in Uttar Pradesh, so Mayawati wants to play politics in it and she would naturally do it. She was in power as the chief minister for the last 4 to 5 years then why didn't she think about the Muslims," said Chaturvedi.
"Now that the elections are just around the corner then why is she thinking about it now?" he asked.
Another Congress leader and Union Coal Minister Shri Prakash Jaiswal echoing similar sentiments said that the Central Government was always of the view that the backward classes should be given reservations including the Muslims.
"I think that the political party workers in Uttar Pradesh and their voters are in a mental turmoil. They should not say that we cannot do it, we have already announced reservation for all backward classes, and if the Muslims have been left out we will also include them," he said.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accusing the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of luring the voters said that reservation was not the need of the hour for the country's progress, and added that the leaders of the nation should instead put in their efforts to improve the development graph.
"See I feel that Congress Party, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are in a tussle in order to lure the voters by reservation or quotas. These parties are conspiring and are in a competition against each other. I think that whether it is Uttar Pradesh state or the country, if anyone wants to improve their economic, social and educational status then it is not through reservation but it can be achieved by honest political will," said Naqvi.
Mayawati had earlier in on Sunday said that 27 percent OBC quota should be increased by making constitutional amendment to include backward Muslims in it.
"BSP Government favours quota for Muslims. The Centre should amend the constitution and increase 27 percent quota of OBCs to include Muslims in it. Our party will support it," said Mayawati, while addressing a massive rally in Lucknow.
Various political outfits are leaving no stones unturned in garnering support ahead of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
The 403-member legislative assembly goes to polls in May 2012. (ANI)
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