New Delhi, Dec 23: In a politically significant move, Civil Aviation Minister and RLD chief Ajit Singh and Congress leader Digvijay Singh today met Home Minister P Chidambaram to seek inclusion of Jats in the Union Government's list of backward classes.
“Jats are classified as a backward caste in many states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. So why can't they be classified a backward class at the Centre,” the RLD chief told reporters before the meeting.
“It is a demand that has been there for a long time and it is a just demand. How come that Jats are backward in Noida but not in Delhi?” he pointed.
Singh's meeting with Chidambaram lasted nearly half-an-hour after which Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that they had conveyed to Home Minister the demand to expedite the process for Jat reservation.
“The demand for reservation for Jats is an old demand and in states where Jats are declared backward in the state lists, they are not so in the central list,” the Congress general secretary said.
He gave examples of states of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi where Jats are listed as backward in the state list but not in the Central government list.
“RLD and Congress party, both have supported the demand to include Jats in the central list. The problem is that the Backward Class Commission had rejected this demand,” he said.
There was no provision for a review but Home Minister P Chidambaram has amended rules and now it was under review, the Congress leader said.
“We today requested that the states where Jats have been declared backward had already conducted studies on the same basis reservation can be provided at the centre,” he said.
“The Home Minister has listened to our demand and said that as soon as the Commission submits a report a decision will be taken.”
