TN parties cry foul over ‘disappointing’ SC verdict on EWS

CHENNAI: Political parties in the State, mainly the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance cried foul over the ‘disappointing’ split verdict of the Supreme Court upholding the 10% reservation for Economically weaker Sections (EWS) among non SC, ST and OBCs.

VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan described the judgement, which is “against the principle of social justice and the fundamentals of the Constitution”, as the “height of injustice” and said, “It is a huge blow to social justice. This is the principle of the RSS. EWS reservation was created to destabilize reservation for OBCs. Sangh Parivar hatched the conspiracy to undermine reservation only after the Mandal commission report was implemented. Economy based reservation for EWS is an injustice and conspiracy hatched by sangh parivar against majority Hindu OBCs.”

Announcing that the VCK would move an appeal against the split verdict, he said, “If one says EWS, it must apply to all including SC/STs, OBC and forward castes. But, this verdict upholds reservation to only EWS among the forward castes. The two dissenting judges, including the CJI also concurred with the majority view on extending reservation on economic basis. The dissenting judges have held that the principle of equality espoused in the Constitution was violated in only selecting EWS among the forwarded castes.”

Expressing disappointment over the verdict, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss said that the verdict would be a huge setback to the social justice principle followed in the country. Remarking that India is a country with many inequalities, Ramadoss junior said that to uproot the inequalities, reservation must be provided on the basis of social condition and one must not permit economic status as the parameter for extending reservation. Reasoning that economic status was transient and providing reservation on that basis would reduce reservation to a poverty alleviation programme and not social justice ensuring affirmative action. Calling out the apex court for upholding an ‘unconstitutional’ legislation, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani insisted that the government must immediately move a review petition to right the injustice done through the verdict.