Nadda says BJP committed to reservation, Paswan favours quota law

BJP president J P Nadda asserted on Friday (June 12) that his party and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are committed to reservation, a day after the Supreme Court said quota is not a fundamental right.

While the BJP underscored its support to reservation, its ally and Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan demanded that all parties should come together and put all laws related to quota in the ninth schedule of the Constitution which will preclude any legal challenge to it.

In a statement, Nadda said some people are trying to create confusion in society about reservation.

“The government under Modi and the BJP are committed to reservation. Our commitment to social justice is unbreakable. We stand committed to reservation. PM Modi has repeated it again and again. Our endeavour is always towards social harmony and equal opportunity for everyone,” he said.

Lok Janshakti Party leader Paswan said reservation, which provides scheduled castes and tribes, other backward classes and economically backward members of general castes quota in government jobs and educational institutions, may not be a fundamental right but is very much a constitutional right.

He expressed his disappointment that some controversy is often raised over the issue, even though reservation for the scheduled castes and tribes owes its genesis to the Poona pact between Mahatma Gandhi and B R Ambedkar.

Related news: Reservation not a fundamental right, says Supreme Court

Even the Supreme Court had held it long back that the scheduled castes and tribes have been granted reservation due to the practice of untouchability against them.

“The LJP appeals to all political parties, who have joined hands over the issue earlier as well, that they should come together to put all laws regarding reservation in the Constitution’s ninth schedule to lay all controversies to rest,” he said in a statement.

The Supreme Court on Thursday (June 11) refused to entertain pleas of various political parties challenging the Centre’s decision not to grant 50 per cent reservation to OBCs as per Tamil Nadu law in medical seats surrendered by the state in the all India quota for undergraduate, postgraduate and dental courses in 2020-21, saying the right to reservation is not a fundamental right.

A bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, Krishna Murari and S Ravindra Bhat made it clear that no one could claim reservation as a matter of right and hence it could not be construed as a violation of fundamental rights if quota benefits do not come by. “Right to reservation is not a fundamental right. That’s the law today,” Justice Rao said.

The top court asked the political parties, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), CPI(M), MDMK of Vaiko, PMK of Anubmani Ramadoss, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee and CPI, to approach the Madras High Court with their pleas for grant of OBC quota in medical admissions.

The bench, appreciating the political parties for coming together for a cause, but maintained that the contention of the petition cannot be accepted. It said, “whose fundamental rights are being violated? Article 32 is available only for violation of fundamental rights. We assume you are all interested in the fundamental rights of the citizens of Tamil Nadu. But right to reservation is not a fundamental right.”

(With inputs from agencies)