The Congress on Monday lashed out at the BJD Government in Odisha and the BJP-led Government at the Centre allegikng that both are against providing reservations to the SCs, STs and OBCs.
Speaking at a Press conference here, AICC Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh said the BJD Government has failed to provide required quota to OBCs and Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBC)s in last 20 years.
While over 94 per cent of Odisha's population is eligible to get caste-based reservations, only six per cent are getting all benefits, he said, adding some States are providing total quotas much higher than 50 per cent.
While Tamil Nadu provides a total quota of 69 per cent, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have raised it to 67 per cent, he claimed.
He demanded that the State should immediately implement 27 per cent reservation for OBCs and 38.5 per cent quota for SCs and STs in employment and education.
Hitting out at the BJP, he said the BJP Government is misleading the entire nation and the Parliament. Instead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi apologising to the country for their conspiracy and correcting the historical wrong being done to the SC, ST and OBCs, the BJP is trying to shift the responsibility by leveling false allegations.
Also the BJP permitted the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989 to be quashed in the Supreme Court and it was only after the Congress blocked the Parliament, the act was restored. Dalit atrocities as per NCRB data has reached 43, 2033. Even the backlog in SC, ST and OBC jobs continues, he added.
Time has come to launch a nationwide agitation and ensure that the conspiracy of the BJP of abolition of fundamental rights of reservation of SC,ST and OBCS in Government jobs in defeated, said Singh.