Maya stokes Jat fire in west UP

Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh) - Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday blamed the Congress-led central government for dilly-dallying on the issue of reservation for Jats.

Addressing a massive rally in the heart of this Jat dominated belt, she said: “I took the lead by urging the centre to include Jats in the OBC list for providing reservation to them. But the centre has not cared to even reply to my letter.”

Mayawati’s particular reference to the issue is seen as a sequel to the sudden focus by Jat pressure groups in bordering Haryana, where they took to streets Monday, for grant of reservation to the community in central government jobs.

The Congress-Rashtriya Lok Dak combine is busy trying to woo the Jats in western Uttar Pradesh.

“The Congress has been misleading both Jats and Muslims on the issue of reservation,” said Mayawati, while pointing out how some Congress leaders had gone about “promising 9 percent reservation to Muslims out of the 27 percent OBC quota”.

“I have also been in favour of granting reservation to the poor among upper castes for which I wrote another letter to the central government where it is apparently only gathering dust.”

In an obvious bid to impress farmers in the region, the BSP chief reminded them about the measures initiated by her government for the larger good of farmers and sugarcane growers.

She urged the cheering crowds to vote.