"The Congress-led UPA is dithering on the issue of reservation for Dalits and Adivasis in the private sector. It has no political will to push the issue," the party's national secretary D Raja said speaking at the National Conference on Reservations in Private Sector in New Delhi.

"If the UPA had the political will, it would have taken up the issue at highest levels and it would have been resolved," he said.

Raja noted that the private sector in India takes all benefits from the Government and therefore cannot claim to be independent of its social responsibility.

"If a private industry is set up, the Government provides water, electricity and land at cheaper rates or free of cost. They take loans from Government banks. So what is private about the private sector?" he asked.

"The Communist Party of India fully supports reservation for Dalits and Adivasis in the private sector. It is high time that the Government, which is at the fag end of its term, should fulfil its promise," he added.

Subhashini Ali, General Secretary, AIDWA said: "It is a strange country where tigers are given more importance than tribals." She was apparently referring to the recent Tribal Rights Act passed by Parliament.