Party crisis or pursuing BJP’s policy: Ponmudy asks AIADMK

CHENNAI: State Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy on Saturday sought to know if the AIADMK abstained from the meeting of all legislature parties due to the internal crisis in the party or if they chose to pursue the policy of the BJP on the EWS reservation issue.

Briefing media persons in the company of the parties that attended the meeting at the Secretariat, Ponmudy said that about 10 parties, including the DMK, attended the meeting. Almost all parties were unanimous in agreeing that they should move a review petition against the majority verdict upholding 10% EWS reservation.

“Only the AIADMK and BJP did not participate. Be it the time of MGR or Jayalalithaa, the social justice principle of the AIADMK has always been in agreement on social justice principles. They also had a role in increasing the quantum of reservation in the state. Even in 2019 at the time of passage of the EWS bill, AIADMK MPs Thambidurai in the Lok Sabha and Navaneethakrishnan in the Rajya Sabha opposed the Bill and walked out. Now, they did not attend the meeting. I dont know if it is due to the party crisis or if they chose to pursue the ideology of the BJP, ” Ponmudy added, suggesting that the ruling DMK would intervene in the case before the apex court, if the need arises.

Meanwhile, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan said that his party opposes the EWS 100% at the national level. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said that his party, which is one of the petitions, would move a review petition and seek the transfer of the case to a larger bench of nine judges or more. PMK’s K Balu said that political parties in the state should gear up for the third reservation struggle.

Clarifying his party’s position, Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai said that his party, along with many other parties, had supported the Constitution Amendment Bill in Parliament. Citing the observations of the bench, he said that a large number of issues have been raised by each of the five judges and the Congress is carrying out a detailed examination of them.

CPM, which is one of the endorsers of the verdict, was another party guarded in its response at the meeting.