Congress ends 24-hour dharna near Odisha CM’s home, vows SEBC quota push

Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress Friday ended its 24-hour dharna near Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s residence demanding 27 per cent reservation in education and jobs for Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in the state.

However, the party vowed to take the fight for enhanced quota for the SEBCs, or as OBCs are categorised in Odisha, to the villages.

The party staged a peaceful dharna on the Mahatma Gandhi Marg here opposing the state’s BJP government’s announcement of 11.25 per cent of quota for SEBC students in higher education.

The party also strongly condemned the government for not extending the SEBC quota to medical, engineering and technical courses in the state.

“I would like to thank all the Congress workers who staged an overnight dharna amid heavy downpour. We have decided to fight till the end for the protection of the interests of the people belonging to the SEBC category, who comprise 54 per cent of the state’s population.

“The Congress will take the agitation to each village in the state,” OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said while winding up the agitation for the day.

Das said that apart from SEBCs, the party is also committed to fighting for the interests of people belonging to the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste categories.

“Altogether, STs, SCs and SEBCs comprise 94 per cent of Odisha’s population,” he said, alleging that tribals and Dalits are being denied their rights under the BJP government.

He said the party has already submitted a five-point charter of demands with the governor and had plans to submit a memorandum to the chief minister Friday.

“However, the CM was not available… the party hopes that the governor would forward the Congress memorandum to Majhi,” the OPCC president said.

Other Congress leaders, including Prasad Harichandan, Jaydev Jena, Srikant Jena, also came down heavily on the BJP government and dubbed it as “anti-SEBC”.

“While all the states have made provisions for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs (SEBC in Odisha) in jobs and education, Odisha’s BJP government is giving only 11.25 per cent quota, which is a clear discrimination against the community,” Harichandan said.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP alleged that both the BJD and Congress were “shedding crocodile tears” for SEBCs.

“What did the BJD do for the SEBCs during its 24-year rule? Within 11 months in the government, the BJP has made a provision for 11.25 per cent quota for SEBC students in higher education,” BJP state president Manmohan Samal said, adding that the government will soon extend the SEBC quota to medical and engineering courses as well.

“Both Congress and BJD have no moral right to speak on quota as they had denied the rights to the community during their tenures. The BJP, on the other hand, reserved 11.25 per cent of seats for SEBC students,” Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said.

He said that as the Supreme Court has put a 50 per cent cap on caste-based reservations, the state government could not provide more quota to the SEBC students.

He said there is a provision for 22.25 per cent quota for STs and 16.50 per cent reservation for SCs in the state.

PTI

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