Gujarat BJP hails Centre's upper caste quota move

The Gujarat BJP Monday welcomed the Centre's decision to give 10 per cent reservation to "economically weaker" sections from the general category even as an ordinance on the same issue brought by the state government in 2016 during the Patel quota stir was quashed by the high court.

The state's BJP government had issued an ordinance for 10 per cent quota for economically weaker sections among upper castes in May 2016, but the Gujarat High Court had quashed it in just three months, calling it "unconstitutional".

The ruling party Monday termed the Narendra Modi government's decision to provide quota in jobs and education to the poor in the general category as historic.

"This is a historic decision by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre," state BJP vice-president I K Jadeja told reporters.

"This will address aspirations of weaker sections among the upper class," he said.

The former Gujarat minister rejected the Congress's criticism over the issue.

"The Congress is ...