Police use batons to disperse pro-reservation activists

Police baton-charged a number of pro-quota activists who were trying to barge inside the premises of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission to meet the chairman and press their demand for introducing a three-tier reservation system in the state.

Allahabad: Police on Friday baton-charged a number of pro-quota activists who were trying to barge inside the premises of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) here to meet the Chairman and press their demand for introducing a three-tier reservation system in the state.

The pro-reservation activists, who had gathered in front of the UPPSC`s gate, claimed the Chhattisgarh government had adopted a three-tier quota policy and that the same has been upheld by the court of law. They insisted that they be allowed entry into the premises as they wished to apprise the UPPSC chairman of "this development" and "re-introduce a similar policy here which was withdrawn earlier this year under pressure from the Samajwadi Party government in the state". When the police personnel on duty refused to allow them entry, pro-reservation activists allegedly tried to force their way inside following which the policemen resorted to lathi-charge. Additional force was soon deployed around the UPPSC premises though none of the protesters returned after being chased away, police said, adding no arrest has been made in this connection and there were no reports of serious injury to anybody in the lathi-charge. The UPPSC had scrapped its three-tier reservation formula, wherein caste-based quotas were to be introduced at all three stages of competitive examinations - preliminary, mains and interview - in July this month, following vehement opposition by a section of the students who had indulged in violence and vandalism to protest the move and even challenged the new policy in the Allahabad High Court. Embarrassed by the developments, the SP government had claimed that the UPPSC had not consulted it before going ahead with the new policy. While the anti-reservation students had welcomed the withdrawal, those supporting the new quota policy had accused the Akhilesh Yadav government of "betrayal".