Union minister Ramdas Athawale (PTI)

Union Minister of State for social justice, Ramdas Athawale on Thursday asked for reservation for scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST) in the Rajya Sabha and the Union Cabinet. Speaking to the reporters here, Athawale said, “When I was in the Lok Sabha, I had demanded that the way reservation exists there with some constituencies reserved for SCs and STs, similarly reservations should be there in the Rajya Sabha and also in the Union Cabinet”. “Earlier, the Prime Minister could induct as many ministers as he wished…Later a law (constitution amendment) was made (to cap it). It is our demand that reservation be introduced in the Union Cabinet also…Let’s see what happens in the future,” he added.

Athawale also appealed to the Centre and the political parties to support enactment of a law to enhance reservation by another 25 percent. “Without touching the 50 percent reservation cap put by the Supreme Court on quotas for SC, ST and OBC, a law should be made to provide 25 percent reservation to economically backward people of all communities,” Athawale added. Athawale had also sought quotas for SCs and STs in the armed forces.