Rajasthan’s BJP government to review reservations given to 14 Muslims castes under OBC category
Jaipur (PTI): Amid a tug of war over reservations between the BJP and opposition parties in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, a Rajasthan minister on Saturday said the classification of certain Muslim groups under the OBC category would be reviewed in the state.
Social justice and empowerment minister of Rajasthan Avinash Gehlot said that previous Congress governments gave OBC reservation to Muslim castes from 1997 to 2013 as part of appeasement politics and now it will be reviewed.
"Baba Saheb Ambedkar had written in the Constitution that reservation benefits cannot be given to any caste or class on the basis of religion, but from 1997 to 2013, Congress included Muslim castes in the OBC category," Gehlot was qiuoted as saying in a video.
"The 14 castes of Muslims have been included in the OBC category. We have complaints and the department is getting the verification done," he said, adding that a high-level committee will be formed on the matter.
When contacted, the minister said that giving reservation "on the basis of religion is unconstitutional" and should be reviewed.
Reacting to it, PCC chief Govind Singh Dotasra said that the BJP was doing 'Hindu-Muslim' politics out of fear of its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections instead of giving an account of the work done by the central government.
"Regardless of your Hindu-Muslim politics, done out of fear of defeat, INDIA alliance will form the government. The people are demanding an account of the last 10 years. It is demanding answers on inflation, unemployment and bad governance," he said.
AIMIM's state general secretary Kashif Zuberi said it will protest against the review. He said that the BJP should review its election manifesto instead of taking decisions to target one religion.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
