BJP to oppose religion-based reservation: Joshi

.....

"Any reservation in the name of religion is unconstitutional. It's a conspiracy to divide the nation. The BJP will oppose this move," Joshi said at a press conference here at Kolkata Press Club.

He said the West Bengal government had decided to adopt the Ranganath Mishra Commission's recommendations when the centre has not taken any concrete decision on it.

"Backwardness in India has no connection with religion," he added.

The Left government in West Bengal Monday announced 10 per cent reservation in government jobs for other backward classes among the Muslims.

Talking about Maoist violence in West Bengal and other eastern India states, Joshi said the central government must hold talks with all the state governments to resolve the Maoist issue.

"The Congress has been hand and glove with the Maoists in states like Andhra Pradesh but now when the cat is out of the bag the Home Minister P. Chidambaram is busy holding meetings across the country," he alleged.

"We had pointed this when a police official was abducted by the Maoists and was declared prisoner of war, we had warned him... the talks should have started then only... better late than never," he said.

Joshi also blamed the central government for its "wrong policies" which led the food price rise and inflation across the country.

"The price rise is solely due to the wrong policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Although the major responsibility lies with (Agriculture Minister) Sharad Pawar but it is the entire government that has to share the blame for this continuous price rise," he said.