General category quota aimed at empowering poor; Rao failed for not following proper process: Gehlot

Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot has said the BJP government's move to provide 10 per cent quota for the economically backward section in the general category was aimed at empowering the poor and not for electoral benefits as alleged by the opposition parties.

He claimed the Congress government led by Narasimha Rao had tried to provide reservation for the general category poor but did not follow proper procedure.

The BJP government has fulfilled the long-pending demand as it was committed to the issue and did not want to betray the people of the country, Gehlot said.

"The poor belonging to the general category had for long been demanding quota for them, like that for the SC, ST and OBCs. Our government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership has done justice to them," the Union minister, a Dalit face within the BJP, said.

He said the government neither violated the 50 per cent cap on reservation set by the Supreme Court "in any manner" as it was applicable only for the SC, .