India
Updated : Dec 20, 2014, 07:31 PM IST
Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Saturday blamed Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for the alleged denial of reservation benefits to Jats in Punjab.
"The onus about the denial of reservation to Jats in Punjab squarely lies on Badal as he was sitting over the decision for reasons best known to him," he said. Talking to a delegation of Jat representatives and newly appointed officials of All India Jat Maha Sabha, who had come to meet him here, Amarinder, who is president of the Sabha, agreed with them that Punjab was the only state which was withholding benefits to the poor and deserving Jat population, of both the Sikh and Hindu communities.
The leader said the decision to provide reservation to Jats was taken by the previous Congress-led UPA government and the BJP-led NDA government has also upheld it. Stating that the state government has to write to the Centre to pass on the benefits of reservation to the people, he remarked that Badal was not prepared to do even this much.
The former chief minister also clarified that reservation is only for the poor and deserving Jats and not the rich ones. "Let me reiterate and clarify once again that the reservation benefits are not for people like me or Badal, but the ordinary Jats who cannot make both ends meet," he said. Stressing that unemployment was on the rise in Punjab, Amarinder asked why Badal was sitting over the decision as it could help poor Jat students get various jobs and admission to educational institutions under the OBC category.