AAP Chief Kejriwal Appeals to PM Modi for Jat Community's Inclusion in OBC List

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP chief has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the central government to include the Jat community in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) list, allowing them to benefit from reservations in education and employment. Kejriwal accused the Centre of betraying the Jat community in Delhi over the past decade and claimed that the BJP only remembers the community when elections are near. Delhi is set to hold elections on February 5 to choose 70 members of the Legislative Assembly and the Jat community holds significant influence, making up around 8-10 percent of the electorate.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Kejriwal criticized the BJP leadership, particularly Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for neglecting the Jat community in Delhi. He noted that while Jats in Rajasthan benefit from OBC reservations, those in Delhi do not have access to such reservations in central institutions like Delhi University. "The Jat community in Delhi has been betrayed for 10 years," Kejriwal stated, emphasizing that they are denied reservation benefits in colleges, universities and government institutions like Delhi Police, DDA, AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital.

In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal urged the government to address this issue and end its "biased attitude" toward the Jat community and five other OBC castes, calling for immediate action to rectify the discrepancies in the Central OBC list. Kejriwal is also scheduled to meet with the Election Commission today to raise concerns about alleged manipulation of the voter list in Delhi. He will be accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and MP Sanjay Singh. The AAP has accused the BJP of targeting vulnerable voter groups, including Dalits, slum dwellers and Poorvanchalis, which the BJP has denied. Kejriwal expressed confidence in AAP's chances of retaining power in Delhi, stating that the election is a direct contest between AAP and the BJP, not the India Alliance. The Delhi Assembly election will take place on February 5 with vote counting scheduled for February 8.