As the political row intensified over the Centre fixing a 4.5 per cent share for minorities within the existing 27 per cent OBC quota, civil aviation minister Ajit Singh and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh pitched for Jats’ inclusion in the Union government’s list of backward classes on Friday.

The two met home minister P. Chidambaram and sought inclusion of Jats in the Central OBCs’ list. “Jats are classified as a backward caste in many states like UP, Uttar-akhand, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. So why can’t they be classified a backward class at the Centre?” the RLD chief said to reporters.
Sharp differences emerged among political parties over the minority quota issue, with the BJP and JD(U) strongly opposing it, while the Samajwadi Party and the CPI(M) called it just “tokenism”, demanding an increase. The Congress welcomed the move, calling it “praiseworthy”.
The minority quota decision appears to have been taken with an eye on the coming UP elections, where the Congress wants to consolidate its votebank. Most key players reacted according to their voteshare. The SP, trashing the move, sought reservations for Muslims in proportion to their population, while the JD(U) criticised it, saying the Centre was “bolstering the strength of Hindutva”.
After meeting Mr Chidambaram, Mr Digvijay Singh said he had urged expediting the process for Jat reservations, which was an “old demand”. He said the home minister assured them of a quick decision.