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Convince Sonia on quota issue, Vasundhara tells Gehlot

By Our Special Correspondent

JAIPUR AUG. 11. The Rajasthan BJP president, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, today asked the State Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, to "convince" the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, on extending support to a Bill in Parliament for a Constitutional amendment to facilitate reservation for the poor among the unreserved castes. "If he is really for such a reservation, let him do it," Ms. Scindia said.

Talking to newspersons in a triumphant post-rally mood, Ms. Scindia said the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was forthcoming on the NDA support to the demand for reservation on an economic basis. "Now leaving aside gimmicks like passing a resolution in the State Cabinet on economic reservations Mr. Gehlot should do something about the Congress support for the proposed amendment in the Constitution," she asserted.

"The Prime Minister is the leader of the country besides being the leader of the BJP and the NDA. After his assurance there should not be any doubts about our seriousness on the issue," Ms. Scindia asserted. "Unless there is Congress support, the amendment cannot be passed in Parliament as it requires a two- thirds majority," she said referring to Mr. Vajpayee's speech here the previous day at the public rally.

"I personally cannot give any more details on the issue. I have no right...," Ms. Scindia said when mediapersons asked if the party had any definite programme to bring about reservations. Ms. Scindia thanked Mr. Vajpayee for keeping his date with the Pink City despite indifferent health and also for making a commitment on the reservation issue.

Ms. Scindia hailed the Sunday's meeting as a "massive victory rally" which heralded a political change in the State. She refused to accept the disturbances at the rally by activists of the Social Justice Front as anything major but promptly blamed the State Government for both laxity and connivance.

"I hold the administration and the police responsible for the intrusions. They were harassing genuine participants with formalities prior allowing them to the venue. Yet the trouble-makers could enter even carrying banners," she charged. Ms. Scindia also complained that party workers were prevented from reaching the venue of the meeting by the police and administration.

Ms. Scindia said the 15 Assembly constituencies left out from the just concluded "Parivartan Yatra" would be covered in some other manner. She also informed that the next action plan for the party would be to strengthen the organizational set up. This included district-wise training camps and selection of personnel to man the polling booths.

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