The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is a crucial ally in the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term.
Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said that the party will appeal against the Supreme Court verdict allowing sub-classification within the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is a crucial ally in the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term.
“We also have disagreement to the observation that has come from Supreme Court. There is no educational basis to the Scheduled Caste. The basis has been untouchability. Amid all this, there can’t be provision of creamy layer. A Dalit is not allowed to temples. Reservation in reservation is not correct. LJP (Ram Vilas) is going to file a plea for reconsideration in SC,” says Chirag Paswan said.
The LJP (Ram Vilas) chief contended that the main basis for the classification of Scheduled Castes was untouchability, which has not been mentioned anywhere in the apex court order and said that his party will seek a review of the judgement.
“The concept of reservation within reservation cannot apply to scheduled castes. creamy layer can never apply to scheduled castes because the basis is untouchability. But untouchability is not even mentioned in the Supreme Court observations. Even today, we get to see Dalit grooms being stopped from getting on a horse. Even educated Scheduled Caste people coming from well-to-do families face untouchability,” Paswan argued.
On August 1, the Supreme Court of India delivered a 6:1 verdict permitting the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) to facilitate separate quotas for the more marginalised members within these backward communities.
The Constitution bench, chaired by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, overturned a 2004 decision which had deemed that state governments lacked the authority to create sub-categories of SCs for the purpose of reservation. Justice Bela Trivedi expressed her dissenting opinion on the matter.
“The sub-classification does not violate the principle of equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution,” the Supreme Court stated.
However, the court clarified that any subclassification scheme must be backed by quantifiable and demonstrable data provided by the states. Chief Justice Chandrachud stressed that states must act based on objective criteria rather than political considerations, asserting that their decisions are subject to judicial review.
