BJP supports plan

The BJP today supported the government's plan to implement reservations for the OBCs in higher educational institutions even as it slammed the ruling coalition for 'total failure' in building consensus on the issue.

The party which had maintained a discreet silence till now on the issue, gave what it termed as its 'preliminary' reaction to the UPA government's decision today.

BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley also demanded that the space for merit should not be reduced in the institutions and their capacity building should be accelerated.

"It is natural that the spirit of the Constitutional amendment on reservations in private educational institutions be first implemented in the government's own institutes of higher learning, but the space for merit should not decrease," he said.

He added that during the Vajpayee government's tenure there had been serious attempts at capacity building by proposing to increase the number of AIIMS, and IITs and other technical institutions.

"All strata of society should be taken into confidence on this measure. The PM had spoken of building a consensus, but did not care to speak to a single Opposition party," he said.