‘Court will strike down bill on quota to Gujjars, others’

JAIPUR: Rebel BJP MLA in Rajasthan Ghanshyam Tiwari Saturday opposed the Vasundhara Raje government’s decision to raise OBC reservation from 21 to 26 per cent for granting 5 per cent reservation to Gujjars and four other castes, saying it would be struck down by the court.

He said that if the proposed bill is challenged and struck down by the court like the previous SBC reservation bill, all the castes under the OBC would suffer.

“The bill, which the government is going to introduce for increasing OBC quota to grant reservation to Gujjars and other castes, will exceed the 50 per cent legal ceiling.

It may be struck down by the court and if this happens, all the castes getting OBC reservation will suffer,” he said.

Tiwari said that the government should also take initiatives to provide reservation to economically backward people of upper caste.

The government has assured the Gujjar leaders that the OBC quota will be split after increasing it to 26 per cent to grant them 5 per cent reservation.

A bill to this effect will be introduced in the upcoming Monsoon session for which a consensus was arrived at Thursday night at a meeting of the cabinet subcommittee with the Gujjar delegation.

The total reservation in the state stands at 49 per cent at present and this is set to once again crossed the 50 per cent legal ceiling.

In May this year, the state government had issued a notification to re-include five castes of Gujjar/Gurjar, Banjara/ Baldia/Labana, Gadia-Lohar/ Gadalia, Raika/Rebari and Gadaria (Gaadri), in the OBC list. These castes were first included in the OBC list in 1994.