5 months ago
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State president of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Mukhyamantri Chandru has said that to provide reservation facilities on a scientific basis, caste census should be carried out across the country.
Addressing a press conference in Hubballi on Thursday, he said that population-based reservation is unscientific and it has resulted in disparities.
“If all communities have to get the requisite reservation facilities, caste census is a must. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should accept the report of caste census conducted in Karnataka and table it before the House,” he said.
Referring to the former Minister Goolihatti Shekhar’s statement that because of his caste he was not allowed to enter Hedgewar memorial, Mr. Chandru said that if at all such an incident happened, it is highly condemnable.
He said he too has experienced similar incidents when he was in the BJP. “When I was in the BJP, I was invited for some meetings and I was kept away without giving any clear reason. And, regarding some issues, we were not taken into confidence,” he said.
On the poll debacle for INDI alliance in the Assembly elections to five States, he said that the coalition parties should have expressed unity during the elections. At least before the parliamentary elections, there should be an announcement on the leadership to face the BJP effectively, he said.
Mr. Chandru said that there are suspicions about large-scale corruption in the works taken up under Smart City Scheme and a White Paper should be published on the quantum of grants released by the Centre and the State and also, the expenses incurred.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s comment that he did not support Parivarvaad, Mr. Chandru said: “While the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa is in the national executive committee, his elder son is a member of Parliament and younger son the BJP State unit president. The Janata Dal(S) which has entered into alliance with the BJP has a similar situation with the Deve Gowda family calling all the shots in that party,” he said.
On the recent rude behaviour of the former Minister H.D. Revanna’s wife Bhavani with a motorcyclist, Mr. Chandru said that the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda should have condemned it and both H.D. Revanna and his son Prajwal Revanna should have resigned from their positions. He demanded that the Janata Dal(S) decide not to field Bhavani Revanna in any of the elections.
To a query, he said that the AAP is fighting caste politics and family politics and to sensitise the people, it is conducting campaigns from the village level.
