Arjun reveals quota inside story

New Delhi: As the anti-quota stir grows from strength to strength, HRD Minister Arjun Singh has strongly defended his turf and contested the claim that the Prime Minister was kept out of the loop with regard to his initiative on reservations for OBC.

"The Prime Minister was fully aware of it and he had met the OBC leaders to convince them to support this legislation. How can you say he was unaware?" he told Karan Thapar on the Devil's Advocate programme on CNN-IBN.

Replying to a question as to whether the Prime Minister was in the know of things, he said: "I think a very motivated propaganda was on this issue. Providing reservation to OBCs was in the public domain right from December 2005 when Parliament passed the enabling resolution."

He rubbished suggestions that his drive on reservations for OBC was intended by a desire to embarrass Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of whom he was “jealous”.

"Why should I embarrass the Prime Minister. I am with him and I am part of his team," Singh shot back.

"This is a canard which is below contempt. Only that person who does not know what kind of respect and regard I hold for Sonia Gandhi could say. She is the leader and whatever she decides is acceptable to me," he said.

He was replying to a question whether he was jealous of the Prime Minister as the Congress President had picked up Manmohan Singh for the top job.

Dismissing the suggestion that he had jumped the gun, Singh said he was only doing what was manifestly clear to everyone and was cleared by the party and the Prime Minister. "There is no question of any personal agenda."

Asked why he believed that reservations was the best way to help the OBCs gain greater access to higher education, he said: "I wouldn't like to say much more on this because these are decisions that are taken not taken by individuals alone. And in this case, the entire Parliament of this country almost with rare anonymity has decided to take this decision."

Singh steered clear of suggestions whether the reservation in elite educational institutions would be to the extent of 27 per cent and whether the proposal would be implemented in one go or in a staggered manner.

"That is an issue I cannot comment upon at this moment. That is under examination. I cannot speculate. I am not free to speak today," Singh said.

On the percentage of reservation, he said this was not possible to say at this point of time. "Figures are not decided as yet. I do not want to speculate. The decision will be taken by the Parliament," he said.

Singh, who has been projecting himself as the champion for the OBC cause, dubbed the ongoing medicos' strike as a 'hyped up' affair but insisted that he was not without sympathy.

"Do not go by Times of India or Hindustan Times about faculty and infrastructure. They are trying to focus on an argument which they have made," he said, emphasising that the issues of faculty and infrastructure would not come in the way of implementing the decision.

Asked about CPI(M) demand for exclusion of creamy layer from the purview, Singh said: "It could be possible that creamy layer is excluded from reservation for OBCs in higher education. But I do not know (whether) it will happen actually."

"Except for the percentage, every other way, yes," Singh said emphasising that with the exception of the percentage and the possible exclusion of the creamy layer reservation for OBCs in higher education would be identical in every way to reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Confirming that the government was considering increasing the number of seats, the minister dismissed the argument that constraints in terms of faculty and infrastructure would mean dilution of education.

Dismissing the suggestion that more qualified pupil would be penalised by the reservation, Singh said: "Nobody is penalised. That is the factor we are trying to address. I think the Prime Minister will be talking to all the political parties and put in a formula which will see that nobody is penalised."

Singh said increasing the number of seats in the institutions was one of the suggestions that would be seriously considered.

Accepting that there was no exact percentage of OBCs in the country, he argued that does not change the case for reservations for them.

(With agency inputs)

Watch the entire interview with the HRD Minister Arjun Singh on Devil's Advocate at 2030 hrs (IST) on Sunday.

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