'Congress is attempting to change the agenda from electoral issues to a divisive agenda by offering reservation on religious lines', Arun Jaitley said.
BJP on Saturday accused Congress of shifting the focus of Uttar Pradesh elections from the issues of corruption and law and order to "divisive politics" for electoral gains by offering nine per cent reservation to minorities, taking away a major chunk from the OBC share.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley maintained that issues like good governance, improving law and order and corruption were the main election issues in Uttar Pradesh.
"But Congress is attempting to change the agenda from electoral issues to a divisive agenda by offering reservation on religious lines. It has offered nine per cent reservation to minorities which the Constitution does not permit. This is an attempt to divide the society at the time of elections," Jaitley said.
He asked why the UPA had not thought about this issue in the last seven and a half years it has been in power.
"This provision will make a big hole in the OBC right to 27% reservation. By offering 9% within the OBC quota (of 27%) to the minorities, the government is providing for 33% to the latter from the minority share," Jaitley said.
The BJP leader also hit out at the government and the Congress for indulging in double-speak on the issue.
"The Congress spokesperson has said this offer of nine per cent reservation to minorities is the personal view of the minister (Salman Kurshid). Why this dual forked tongue?" Jaitley said.
He maintained that even on the Batla House encounter the government and Congress spoke on different lines and demanded that the former issue a White Paper to clear the air.
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