Bhopal: Discussion on reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) has begun in the Madhya Pradesh state assembly on the second day of the winter session. As soon as the second day’s proceedings began, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Kamal Nath raised the issue and demanded a discussion should be held over the reservation of OBCs. Amidst the commotion over the issues, the former cabinet minister and Congress MLA from the Sihawal constituency in Sidhi district moved the adjournment motion.
Though both Congress and BJP legislators accused each other of now allowing reservation of OBCs in Panchayat polls, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the government is prepared to discuss the matter. As the state assembly speaker Girish Gautam accepted the adjournment notice and allowed discussion, the BJP and the Congress legislators started speaking all at once and tried to take credit for giving reservations to OBCs.
Congress MLA Kamleshwar Patel claimed that Digvijaya Singh led Congress Government had started reservations for OBCs in Panchayat elections. “But, today the BJP led state government is trying to deprive the OBCs people of reservations,” he said. Patel was interrupted by Medical Education Minister, Vishwas Sarang, who demanded that the Congress party should disclose the name of petitioners. The discussion over the issue was continued till filing this report. Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh state BJP termed Kamal Nath led Congress government as anti-OBCs government and accused Congress of suppressing OBCs from their rights.