No proposal to withdraw quota for Dalits: Union minister

Union Minister of State for Power and Coal Piyush Goyal on Tuesday clarified that there is no proposal before the Centre to withdraw reservation for the Dalits in the education and government jobs.

He was speaking to reporters after having breakfast at the residence of RSS worker Madan Giriyappa, who passed away recently, at Dalit Colony in Bommanahalli. “There is no need for any confusion regarding reservations. The Centre is in favour of reservations,” Goyal said.

Madan Giriyappa’s wife Mallika and her children served chapathi, chitranna, chatni, potato and beans curry to the minister.

The minister made Giriyappa’s grandson sit on his lap and fed him chapathi. Later, he gave him some Rs 500 notes. He then had coffee at the residence of Shankar and Rama in the same locality. Later, Bommanahalli MLA Sathish Reddy gave a cheque of Rs one lakh to Giriyappa’s family.


‘Stage-managed’

Goyal’s Swachh Bharat campaign at Bommahanalli was apparently a stage-managed one with the organisers throwing pieces of tissue papers for the minister to run his broom on it.

Before Goyal’s arrival, the pourakarmikas had cleaned the area. By the time he reached, there was no trace of any litter anywhere. The organisers finally found a way out and littered the pieces of tissue paper.