Gandhinagar: In the backdrop of Gujarat government holding discussions with jailed Patel quota spearhead Hardik Patel, an OBC leader today asked Chief Minister Anandiben Patel to not include any new community under the OBC category.
Opposing induction of any new caste under the current category, OBC leader Alpesh Thakor said many communities are already listed for reservation under the category.
Patels have been demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions under the OBC category.
Thakor, who formed 'OBC-SC-ST (OSS) Ekta Manch' last year to counter the Patel quota agitation, today called upon the chief minister and handed over to her a memorandum listing several demands.
"Many communities have been added in the present OBC list over years. But, the percentage share of reservation for OBCs remained the same. In such scenario, OBCs are not getting benefits as per the size of their population. We strongly oppose any move by the government to include any other caste in the current OBC list," Thakor stated in the memorandum.
In Gujarat, there are a total of 146 castes listed under the OBC category.
In its bid to reach a compromise on the vexed Patel quota issue, BJP MP Vitthal Radadia met Hardik as the government emissary in Lajpore jail in Surat on Tuesday.
Thakor also asked the government to bring a special Reservation Act to implement various provisions related to reservation granted to OBCs, SCs and STs in the Constitution.
Thakor had last month organised 'Vyasan-Mukti Mahakumbh' (de-addiction conclave) in Ahmedabad and given a month's time to government to crack whip against all illegal liquor dens operating in the state.
He today requested the CM to act against the illegal liquor trade within 21 days and also handed over to her a list of 900 such dens which he claimed were running in Mehsana district alone.
"Time has come for the government to show seriousness in eradicating this evil from our society. If government fails to act, OBC community will not hesitate to show its power in the 2017 Assembly election in the state," Thakor told reporters after meeting the CM.
