The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took out a rally in the eastern part of the city on Thursday to protest against the Congress-led UPA government’s proposed reservation for Muslims in the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota. Ahmedabad mayor Asit Vora flagged off the rally in which around 2,000 people participated.

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The saffron party will take out another rally in western part of the city on Friday to highlight this issue. City BJP president Rakesh Shah said that the Congress-led UPA government has proposed 4.5% reservation under the 27% allotted to OBC category. This, according to Shah, is injustice to the latter. “We are organising rallies to protest this move by the Centre,” added Shah. These rallies are the first of BJP’s programmes to draw public attention before the Assembly polls, which are scheduled for later this year.

The rally commenced from Naroda gram panchayat and converged into a public meeting at Amraiwadi. “Around 2,000 people attended the rally,” said Shah. Various party leaders such as minister of state for welfare of socially & educationally backward classes Vasan Ahir, BJP’s OBC cell president Bhagwandas Panchal and Member of Parliament from Ahmedabad-West Dr Kirit Solanki, attended the rally.

Providing details of the western leg of the rally, Shah said that the protest will be flagged off by state BJP president Kanaji Thakore at 2.30 pm on Friday. It will cover western parts of the city before gathering for a public meet at Girdharnagar. The state BJP has also roped in the services of a special chariot for the rally.