UNION Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale on Saturday demanded 15 per cent reservation for the Kshatriya community in Uttar Pradesh. Speaking to the media in Lucknow Athawale said, “People of any community who live below the poverty line should be given reservation.” Commenting on the farmers’ protest, Athawale said the current NDA Government is not against the farmers, adding that we fully support them. He said the demand for repealing the farm laws is unfair. If a law is withdrawn today, then there would be more similar demands made in the future. Taking a dig at the farmer leaders, he said the farmer leaders are causing inconvenience to the farmers. Apart from advocating the ethnic population census, Athawale said the Marathas in Maharashtra, Jats in Rajasthan and the Kshatriyas in Uttar Pradesh are demanding reservation.

 

He is demanding from the Central Government that all these communities must be given 10-15 per cent reservation. National President of the Republican Party of India (RPI), Ramdas Athawale launched a blistering political attack on Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s visit to Varanasi on Saturday. He said whether Priyanka visits a temple or any other place, there can’t be any progress for the Congress till her brother Rahul Gandhi is in the party. The Union Minister appealed to the BJP to give his party RPI a total of five to six seats in UP in the upcoming Assembly elections. At the same time, he demanded to conduct a caste census and said that it will not increase casteism. He said the Assembly elections are going to be held in five States across the country and his party will contest the polls in all the States. The chairman of RPI, an ally of the NDA Government, said that there are talks over seat sharing with the BJP in all the poll-bound States.

 

Wherever there is no compromise over seat-sharing, the RPI will support the NDA. He said the BJP’s victory in four States is almost certain and the party could win in Kerala as well. Asked about Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad’s activism in Uttar Pradesh, Athawale said he would not create any significant impact. If he wants, he could join the RPI. Also if Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati also merges with the RPI, then she would be elected as the party’s National President. The Union Minister said he is also going to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Asked about the rising inflation in the country, Ramdas Athawale said the Central and State Governments should reduce some taxes.