Arjun fears creamy layer exclusion may skim poll profit

IN HINDSIGHT: Apart from Cong allies, Arjun Singh too now worries that excluding creamy layer might backfire on them.

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New Delhi: After the initial euphoria, the Congress and its allies now fear that exclusion of the creamy layer from the 27 per cent OBC reservation may prevent their parties from benefiting from the Supreme Court judgement.

Now apart from the allies, HRD Minister Arjun Singh too is pitching for raising the income limit for creamy layer.

“We are not going to sweep it under the carpet,” Arjun says about the slab increase option.

After being raised from Rs 1 lakh in 2004, the income criterion for creamy layer now rests at Rs 2.5 lakh.

Arjun Singh even met the Prime Minister on Saturday suggesting another raise in the slab.

But the OBC-dominated allies of the Congress are not satisfied with that. They want the entire creamy layer to be included.

“We were given full permission to get it implemented, but except five states, all others defied it. Creamy layer should be included in the 27 per cent quota judgement,” Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav says.

But for the inclusion to be implemented, the government may have to file a review petition.

Sources reveal that Law Minister HR Bhardwaj is not too keen on this. Congress is itself in two minds over the issue. Some within the Congress argue that the raising the slab will actually help the party as it may soften the anger of the upper castes against the party.

But then there are OBC leaders who want a redefinition of the creamy layer. The say the move might give their party some electoral benefit.

The HRD Minister himself seconds that opinion.

“I don't know, it should. It won't harm us,” he says.

However, the fact remains grand old party of India is in a dilemma. While some feel that including the creamy layer would further alienate the upper caste vote bank, but there is mounting pressure from allies as well.