The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has reiterated its demand for extending reservations in education and employment in the private sector.

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, at a meeting with the students of the Osmania University here on Monday, demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led NDA Government convene a special session of the Parliament commemorating the 125{+t}{+h}birth anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar to discuss about extending quota system in the private sector.

The special session could discuss about the issues concerning the status of implementation of rule of reservation for SC, ST, OBC and other communities.

Mr. Yechury expressed concern over the ongoing agitation in Gujarat highlighting the need for providing reservation to the well-to-do Patel community or abolition of the quota system. An independent study conducted in Gujarat had shown that 92 per cent of the seats in the State were held by upper castes while SCs/STs and OBCs occupied less than 8 per cent seats.

Slams RSS chief comments

In this context, he condemned the remarks made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking review of the rule of reservation on the pretext that the policy was being used for political ends. Mr. Bhagwat wanted an independent commission to examine the issue.

“The RSS chief has made his stand clear against reservations. This is a constitutional guarantee that cannot be tampered with. The RSS is bent on doing this and the Modi Government is a political arm of the RSS,” he said.

He recalled how the CPI (M) insisted on the passage of the 93{+r}{+d}constitutional amendment bill during the previous UPA regime which enabled the Centre and the governments in the States to enact legislations providing quota for OBCs. “That has not been done,” he said.

Extend 12 p.c. quota

to Muslims, KCR told

Mr. Yechury who earlier participated in a meeting convened by organisations fighting for minorities’ rights wanted the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao led Telangana Government to fulfil its promise of providing 12 per cent quota to Muslims. Recalling that the Left front government in West Bengal had implemented 10 per cent quota for minorities, Muslims in particular, he said it would not be difficult for the government to provide reservation if it is committed to implementing its promises.

He expressed concern over the suicides of farmers which are still continuing and said the failure to effectively implement the loan waiver promise is forcing farmers to take to the extreme step. Implementation of one time loan waiver would ensure that farmers came out of the debt trap and take up cultivation afresh, he said.