Kochi: Senior BJP leader L K Advani today accused the Congress-led UPA government of attempting to deviate from the Constitution by proposing reservation on the basis of religion to bring Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims under the ambit of SC/ST reservation.

Addressing a meeting of leaders of various SC/ST organisations in Kerala, he said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government since it came to power had been trying to make two major deviations in the Constitutional scheme adopted by Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel and followed by all governments till 2004.

"It is the Manmohan Singh government which for the first time tried to give reservation on the basis of religion and attempting to thrust the Dalit Christians and Muslims on the Scheduled Caste-Schedule Tribes," he said.

The strength of the SC/ST community in Kerala is 35 lakh and the Congress wants to put an additional burden on the community by bringing in another 45 lakh Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims under this category of reservation, he said. "I can understand your anguish and pain and I have come to identify myself with you," he said.

"Not only the BJP, but the Constitution makers are there with you. Their memories are also being violated by these attempts," he added. (PTI)