Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has favoured reservation for the backward classes in politics and private sector, besides quota in education and government jobs.
After inaugurating a national seminar on ‘Challenges of backward classes’, organised by the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission here on Saturday, Mr. Siddaramaiah favoured reservation in the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha.
He also demanded political reservation for women, saying they also suffered injustice like backward classes people.
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Reservation would exist until caste system prevails in society, he said, and added, “As a cascading effect of economic liberalisation, employment opportunities are increasing in the private sector and it is necessary to claim reservation in that sector too.
“Had reservation been there, during my school days, I would have become either a doctor or a professor, and not a politician,” said Mr. Siddaramaiah. He said it took four decades for the backward classes people to get reservation in education.
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Taking a dig at programmes on astrology being telecast by private TV channels, the Chief Minister recalled that there were debates on TV channels before he presented the 2015 budget and one of the panellist predicted that he would not last as Chief Minister until even the budget presentation. “I went on to present two budgets after that and will present two more in the next two years,” he said.
He said though there was a superstitious belief that visiting Chamarajanagar would bring bad luck, he had visited the district six times since he took charge as Chief Minister.