Eyeing Brahmin votes, Congress promises 10% reservation to poor in Haryana
With an eye on Brahmin votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, Senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala promised 10 per cent reservation for the poor. Surjewala, who chaired the state-level Brahmin seminar in Kurkshetra recently announced the setting up of Bhagwan Parshuram Sanskrit University, if Congress is voted to power.
His bag of poll promises included constitution of Brahmin Kalyan Board to provide soft loans of Rs 100 crore per annum and scholarships to unemployed Brahmin youths on 4 per cent interest.
Talking about Brahmin community's contribution in India's freedom struggle, Surjewala claimed that Brahmins were integral part of Indian National Congress. He referred to freedom fighters Mangal Pandey, Chander Shekhar Azad, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, Pandit Moti Lal Nehru and Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru.
The Congress leader accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting Brahmin leaders like Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Ram Bilas Sharma, Lakshmi Kant Vajpayee and Kalraj Mishra in his government. He also accused Khattar government in Haryana of biased against the community.
Last month, Congress leader Surjewala had promised 27 per cent reservation in Haryana government's gazetted posts for backward classes, if the Congress was voted to power in the state after the next assembly elections.
"The Congress government will provide 27 per cent reservation to backward class communities in state government's gazetted posts," said Surjewala, addressing a 'Backward Classes Sammelan' Chandigarh on August 11.
