SC may not okay TN move on 69 percent quota

CHENNAI: While welcoming the AIADMK government’s announcement on the continuation of 69 percent reservation without excluding the creamy layer, PMK founder S Ramadoss cautioned that the means being adopted to safeguard 69 per cent reservation is wrong and may not be approved of by the Supreme Court.In a statement here on Thursday, he said the SC had given a specific ruling last year that if any State wishes to exceed reservation above 50 per cent, it had to do a headcount of each community enjoying reservation and fix the percentage based on the data arrived at.The only way to know the population of each community enjoying reservation is to conduct a caste-wise census. But, instead of conducting a caste census, the government had accepted the report of the BC Commission based on the data already with the government. But the big question now is that whether the SC would approve of the government’s move in this regard.The PMK chief also observed that while hearing the petitions in 2007 challenging the 27 per cent reservation for MBCs in Central government’s higher education institutions, the SC had asked the basis for fixing this percentage.  Besides, the SC had refused to accept the argument based on 1931 population and Mandal Commission report and stayed the implementation 27 per cent reservation.  Only after an year of legal battle, could the reservation be safeguarded. “Can the government face a similar question from the SC in the case relating to 69 per cent reservation ?  Already, a lawyer who is desperately trying to stall the 69 per cent reservation has said that the GO on reservation is invalid as per the law and that he would challenge the same before SC,” he said.He said the government should conduct caste-wise census by buying time for the same from the Supreme Court.