Rajbhar writes to heads of parties, urges immediate implementation of social justice panel report

Lucknow, Oct 3 (UP) Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar on Friday wrote to the heads of major political parties including the ruling BJP, urging them to join him in demanding the immediate implementation of the Social Justice Committee Report in the state.

Rajbhar, an OBC leader, is the national president of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP), which is an ally of the BJP in the state.

The cabinet minister has addressed the letter to BJP president J P Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav, BSP supremo Mayawati, Apna Dal (S) chief Anupriya Patel and NISHAD party president Sanjay Nishad.

In the letter, Rajbhar called for the 27 per cent reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to be sub-categorised and implemented for the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections and all departmental appointments.

Rajbhar referenced two key panels -- the 2001 committee headed by Hukam Singh and the more recent three-member Social Justice Committee led by Justice Raghavendra Singh (retd).

He noted that the latter committee "has submitted its report to the government with the recommendation that the 27 per cent reservation given to the Backward Class be divided into three parts: 7 per cent for Backward Class, 9 per cent for Most Backward Class and 11 per cent for Most Extremely Backward Class".

The SBSP leader criticised previous governments led by the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party for failing to implement the initial report, allowing "only a few backward class castes to reap the majority of the reservation benefits, while the remaining backward castes were deprived".

Rajbhar directly challenged his ally and the opposition parties, asking why the issue of sub-categorising the 27 per cent reservation is not being raised publicly. He questioned the silence of opposition parties on this matter, especially since the central government has received the report from the Rohini Commission, and a committee led by former president Ramnath Kovind also recommended its implementation.

"It is a matter of concern why the opposition parties are not openly raising the issue of dividing the 27 per cent OBC reservation into 7 per cent, 9 per cent, and 11 per cent," Rajbhar wrote.

He further questioned, "Since Independence, do they want the backward castes to be pushed further back?" He concluded his letter by noting the complete silence from major opposition players. "Not a single voice has been raised from the floor of the House to the streets by the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, or any other party to implement the division of the 27 per cent reservation into 7 per cent, 9 per cent, and 11 per cent." Rajbhar implored Anupriya Patel to clarify her views on both the state and central reports, saying implementing the Social Justice Committee Report in UP will ensure that "the deprived backward classes can also get the actual benefit of reservation and have proper representation". PTI CDN KSS KSS