Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Tuesday described the Modi government's decision to grant 10 per cent quota to economically weaker sections from the general category as a "gift" to youths from poor families and said it is a lesson for political parties doing appeasement politics for years.
Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet for taking this "legitimate decision", Shah said this move will ensure justice to crores of youths from poor families and "they will get a fair opportunity to shape their future".
"I congratulate the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his entire cabinet for this legitimate decision, which was pending for decades," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The decision to give 10 per cent reservation to poor youths from general category will open a door for their golden future, Shah said in a statement issued by the BJP.
The number of seats in each branch of education institutions will be increased by 10 per cent to ensure that meritorious students are not affected by the quota, he said.
"The commitment of the Modi government towards economic self-reliance of every section of the country is not only appreciable but also a lesson for the parties doing appeasement politics for years," the BJP chief said in a series tweets.
The BJP chief underlined that the government has given this reservation by keeping the current reservation for schedule castes, schedule tribes and other backward classes intact.
"The decision to provide 10 per cent reservation to the economically weaker in other classes is not just historic but it is a strong step towards bringing positive change in the lives of the people from a large section of our country," Shah said.
In a major move ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Union Cabinet Monday cleared a 10 per cent job and education quota for "economically weaker" sections, meeting a key demand of upper castes, a staunch BJP support base which has shown signs of a drift from the party.
The government on Tuesday introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha for the quota. The bill was brought in on the last day of the Winter Session of the Lok Sabha and Union Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot introduced it in the House amid protests by the Samajwadi Party.
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