Congress chief Kharge brings demand for quota in pvt sector to fore

Hubballi: Claiming that Centre bent down to the Congress' struggle coupled with public support, by deciding to hold caste enumeration during the next decennial census, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the party would fight to get reservation of SC/ST and backward classes in private sector. He also urged the Centre to take measures to increase the reservation above the 50per cent cap.

"Central PSUs are weakened or closed down to help the rich like Adani and Ambani. Where are the jobs for us now? Jobs are less, and the situation is same with banks and railways. Our demand is for reservation of SC/ST and backward classes in private companies," he said.

Addressing the Congress' 'Samvidhan Bachao' rally and protest against the Union government over price rise, in Hubballi, Kharge also asked the Centre to allow the state government to increase the reservation above the cap of 50 per cent on the lines of Tamil Nadu. Chief minister and Cabinet here are ready for that, but the the hindrance is from the Centre, he added.

Stating that the Centre's decision for census with caste enumeration would be considered as just for namesake if it does not conduct the census in three months, Kharge charged that the decennial census scheduled to be held in 2021 has not been conducted by the Modi government so far as it would bring out the details of actual situation of people including their per capita income.

"Rahul Gandhi and myself had been demanding caste census. I had written a letter to the PM two years back itself. When pubic pressure started and we did rallies across the country, the government has bent down now. Why they did not say this earlier, instead of criticising us. A Union cabinet minister said our stand would divide castes. The Centre though not interested has now taken that decision due to the pressure from Congress and public. Fight for good works brings results. We have three formulas - caste census, reservation in private institutions, and increasing the reservation above 50% cap," Kharge said.

Lamenting that the PM Narendra Modi skipped all-party meeting after Pahalgam terror attack, the Congress chief said, "Country is most important, and all should be united. We have demanded to call a special session of the Parliament and tell us who was responsible for the attack and were there any failures".

RSS and BJP did not fight for independence, but supported the British, and they need not tell us about patriotism. Modi government is using the threat of ED, IT and CVC against those who criticise it, and is trying to suppress people's rights. But the Congressmen would never be afraid. Constitution should be protected and and the fight should also be against the price rise by Modi government, Kharge added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Modi government is responsible for the increase in the prices of essential commodities and he did not fulfill promises even after 11 years of being in power.

Deputy CM and KPCC president D K Shivakumar charged that the BJP government at the centres is looting people through price rise and GST, and is helping only the rich through measures like waiver in the form of OTS for industrialists.

AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, ministers H K Patil, Santosh Lad, Shivanand Patil, Shivaraj Tangadagi, and others were present.