Bypoll: Vimukat Jatis, Bazigars to boycott AAP

After the Supreme Court’s directions on quota within quota for the SC categories, Vimukat Jatis and Bazigars, who are in the Scheduled Caste category, have raised a banner of revolt against the AAP government.

Agitating against withdrawal of 2 per cent quota for the Vimukat Jatis and Bazigars in the government jobs, the Vimukat Kabila Sanyukt Morcha has given a call to boycott the AAP candidates in the upcoming bypoll.

Paramjit Singh, a member of the morcha, said the government had withdrawn the 2001 instructions on 2 per cent job quota for Vimukat Jatis and Bazigar candidates.

He said the instructions issued in 2001 read: “In direct recruitment to government services, the posts left vacant in the quotas reserved for Balmikis /Mazhbis, Scheduled Caste ex-servicemen and Scheduled Caste sportsmen, will be reserved up to 2 per cent for the Vimukat Jatis and Bazigars. If no candidate of the Vimukat Jatis/Bazigars is eligible, the said post will then be filled by other Scheduled Castes.” The recruitment continued till the AAP came in power, said Paramjit, adding that they couldn’t meet the CM despite repeated requests.

He said an additional reservation was sought to be given in case the posts remained vacant in the quota reserved for the Balmikis/ Mazhbis/ SC ex-servicemen and SC sportsmen. “The reservation provided under the 2001 policy is dependent upon an eventuality which may or may not happen in a particular selection and such reservation is not in addition to what has already been reserved for the Scheduled Caste,” he said.

The community has a sizeable presence of voters in Malwa, especially the Gidderbaha Assembly segment, which will witness the bypoll shortly.