Thaindian News

New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) With quota politics hotting up, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called an all-party meeting May 23 to discuss the way forward on giving reservations to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes (ST) in job promotions, an issue mired in controversy, sources said Friday.

The meeting comes in the wake of the recent Supreme Court ruling that quashed reservation benefits for the Scheduled Caste and Tribes employees in government job promotions given by the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) government in Uttar Pradesh headed by then chief minister Mayawati.

While the BSP has now demanded a constitutional amendment to provide quota in promotions for the SC and ST government employees, its main political rival Samajwadi Party (SP), which rules the state at present, wants the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) also to be included in this promotions quota benefit.

Members of parliament from the SC and ST communities had earlier this month met the prime minister and demanded the government should bring an amendment to the constitution or approach the apex court once again.

The issue assumes political significance as the presidential election is due in July and the government does not want to annoy either the Samajwadi Party or the BSP, whose support would be crucial to get the Congress nominee elected to the country’s top-most post.

A cartoon of Dalit icon B.R. Ambedkar in an NCERT (National Council Of Educational Research And Training) textbook triggered a controversy May 11 and led to disruption of both house of parliament.

Keeping in mind the touchy issue, the government later acceded to the demand from the parliamentarians and decided to remove all objectionable cartoons from NCERT textbooks.