Maya supports quota for Dalit converts

Kicking off a fresh row over reservations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati today supported reservations for Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities who had converted from backward communities in the past.

Addressing a massive rally of her party here today, Mayawati said she had already written a letter to the Centre on this issue. "I demand that the Dalits among the Muslims, Christians, Buddhists etc should be brought under the ambit of the reservation for scheduled castes," she said.

Mayawati has already announced that in Uttar Pradesh all the companies which sign partnership deals with the government on development projects should ensure reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, according to government norms.

She also spoke about the socio-economic changes taking place in her state, adding that "a stable UP would be the backbone of a stable government at the Centre in future".

At the rally, which had caused road blockades in various parts of the capital, Mayawati blamed both the Congress and the BJP for inconvenience faced by the people in the national capital.

Alleging that the BJP and the Congress had "messed up" the issue of illegal construction in Delhi, the UP chief minister promised to regularise all the illegal structures and colonies in case her party comes to power in Delhi, where Assembly election is scheduled in December.

Mayawati's anger against the Congress had reportedly subsided with her last week's meetings with Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The BSP's aspiration to make it big in the Assembly elections had soared after the party had won 17 wards and was placed second in 30 others in the local elections last year. It appeared clear that the BSP had eaten into the traditional vote bank of the Congress.