TN all-party meet rejects apex court’s EWS quota verdict

PARTIES URGE THE DMK TO REGISTER THEIR OPINIONS IN ITS PLEA AGAINST THE SC VERDICT

CHENNAI: An all-legislative party meeting, chaired by Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday, said it rejected the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10% reservation for the economically weaker section (EWS) by the Centre, saying it created caste-discrimination among the poor.

On November 8, a five-judge Supreme Court bench upheld the validity of the Constitutional amendment granting 10% reservation to the economically weaker sections (EWS).

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) had then announced that it will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.

The meeting was attended by the allies of the DMK -- Congress, Left parties, MDMK, and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) -besides NDA constituent Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), who urged the Stalin government to register its opinion while filing the review petition in the SC.

Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party, however, boycotted the meeting.

“We reject the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10% reservation to castes that have progressed since it is against the social justice envisioned by the Constitution, against various apex court verdicts, and for creating caste discrimination among the poor,” the all-party meeting resolved.

“When a review petition is filed in the Supreme Court in this connection, we request the TN government to also strongly place its opinions to ensure social justice and equality,” it added.

Addressing the meeting, chief minister MK Stalin said: “If this amendment is accepted, the very social justice concept will wither away with time. They will remove the ‘socially and economically backward’ (clause) and bring ‘economically’ everywhere. That is why we opposed this in Parliament and voted against it,” he said.