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Raise Jat reservation issue with Centre: Amarinder to Badal

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Press Trust of India Patiala
Last Updated : Dec 29 2013 | 6:55 PM IST
After writing to the Centre, Punjab Congress leader Amarinder Singh today asked Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to take up the issue of Jat reservation in the state with the Union government as it was a "procedural requirement".
In a letter to Badal today, Amarinder said, "Instead of politicising the issue and as usual seeking to unnecessarily blame the Centre, you as the Chief Minister of the state need to make an official representation to the Union government for providing reservation to Jats in Punjab, whether they be the Hindus, the Muslims or the Sikhs."
"It is good that you have started appreciating and understanding the need after the All India Jat Maha Sabha raised the issue at various levels," the former chief minister and president of All India Jat Maha Sabha said.
"I am not sure whether you have been informed about the procedural requirements needed to be done by your government or not.
"But I am informing you that you need to make the formal recommendation so that the Central government may proceed further in the matter," he said.
Amarinder said Jats had presence in 13 states but the reservation was being extended only in 9 states.

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Earlier this month, he also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, asking him to extend it to Punjab and three other states.
He asked Badal to clarify his stand on the issue.
"Badal has not done anything, not even said anything, except for blaming the centre that is his usual habit," he said.
Amarinder said that considering the seriousness and urgency of the matter "Badal will initiate the move and write to the Centre in his capacity as the Chief Minister that Jats in Punjab also deserve to be given reservation in the OBC category as most of the Jats are mainly into farming are marginal farmers only."
"...The minimum you can do is write to the Centre making a proper case for reservation to Jats in Punjab under OBC category. I want to add for your information that other states where the reservation benefits have been extended to Jats had also made due representations to the Centre and you must do it the same way," he further wrote.

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First Published: Dec 29 2013 | 6:55 PM IST

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