"West Bengal Government's decision on Muslim reservation is unacceptable. We shall oppose it tooth and nail. Reservation on religious line is unconstitutional too," Joshi told a rally at Ashighar, 45 km from here.
"We are opposed to any reservation either on religion or on castes. Reservation should be given to the poorest of the poor irrespective of caste and religion," Joshi said.
Apparently with an eye on elections in the state, West Bengal government last year in February announced 10 per cent job reservation for Muslims under the OBC category.
Referring to the political situation of the state, Joshi said both the ruling and opposition parties had resorted to politics of violence. "It is unfortunate that poor farmers are killed in the state," he said without mentioning the January 7 Netai village massacre.
Joshi said the 35-year rule of Left Front government had pulled down Bengal to the nadir of non-performance. "It is a shame for the Marxists that they have thrown once thriving Bengal to out of the development map of the country."
About price rise, he said, it was not fair for Trinamool Congress chief to remain quiet on price rise when she was an important ally of UPA-II.
Turning to Congress, Joshi said, the party had become a storehouse of corruption. "Shamelessly they defend the loot of public money in several sectors. And the perpetrators are allowed to go scot free," he said.
Joshi came here on the party's 'Nabajagaran Rath'.
Source: Indian Express