Maya bats for upper castes after SC verdict

New Delhi, April 10: Welcoming the Supreme Court decision on OBC quotas, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, on Thursday pitched for reservation for economically backward classes among upper castes and backward classes among religious minorities.
The BSP chief also demanded that the Centre should redefine the "creamy layer" in times of the rising rate of inflation and high cost of living.

She told media that "I will be writing to the central government to extend reservation to the economically weaker upper castes and backward classes among the religious minorities".

The Centre should make an amendment in the Constitutionto ensure such quotas and her Bahujan Samaj Party would support this move in Parliament, she said.

Terming the SC judgement as "historic and important", she demanded that the Centre should ensure implementation of the quotas in higher education institutes across the country.

States where such institutes cannot implement quotas, should be provided help to do the same, Mayawati said.

"We will ensure full implementation of the OBC reservation in higher educational institutions in UP," she said.

She also said, as far as the creamy layer is concerned, Centre should have a relook at the criteria for creamy layer in view of the rising cost of living so that no deserving person from OBC category is left out.