10% quota for poor in general category will stand judicial scrutiny: Paswan

Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan Friday asserted that the Narendra Modi government has taken

adequate precaution by amending the Constitution for providing 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward in unreserved category so that it stands the judicial scrutiny.

Addressing a press conference here, he said when the

V P Singh government provided reservation to the OBCs, quotas to the poor among the upper castes was also contemplated, but the then Attorney General Soli Sorabjee was of the view that since the Constitution did not provide for reservation on an economic basis, it would not be upheld.

However, the Narasimha Rao government still sought to give the poor a lollipop by providing reservation through a notification which was, expectedly, struck down, he said.

Since the Modi government has taken adequate precaution through a constitutional amendment, opposition parties like the Congress and RJD had been jolted out of their sleep. They will know the reality when they go .