MP Minister questions reservation, courts controversy

Narsingpur (Madhya Pradesh), April 16 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Minister Gopal Bhargava has courted controversy by saying that the maximum officers and other staff in the government should be from his Brahmin community since they were more talented.

"Earlier, one fourth of government officers and staff were from our Brahmin community, but now the figure is 10 per cent. This is happening because merit has been jettisoned and incompetent people hired. If a person with 40 per cent marks is selected instead of one with 90 per cent, the country will lag. Talent is being insulted," he said on Sunday at an event in Narsingpur district.

As his comments generated a controversy, the Rural Development Minister clarified that he was a supporter of the constitutional provision of reservation in jobs and education to the weaker sections.

"I have not used or mentioned the word reservation in my earlier statement," Bhargava maintained.

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