'Will Create Confusion, End Quota': Mayawati Opposes Supreme Court Verdict On Sub-Classification In SC/ST Reservations

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has opposed and criticised the Supreme Court's decision to allow sub-classification of Scheduled Castes to grant separate quotas for more backwards within the SC/ST categories.

She claimed that the SC/ST communities have faced atrocities as a single group and hence, sub-classification within them will neither be right, nor as per the fundamentals of the constitution.

She further asserted that this decision would create confusion between the Centre and the State governments because hitherto, only the Centre had the right to include or exclude any community from the SC/ST list.

Mayawati alleged that the parties ruling the state will grant SC/ST reservation to those caste groups who are their respective vote banks and subsequently, the caste groups in need of reservations will be left out.

Notably, of the six Supreme Court judges giving the verdict in favour of sub-classifiaction, four stated that the exclusion of the creamy layer from benefits of affirmative action must be applied.

On this, the BSP chief pointed out no precise definition of creamy layer has been given by the apex court. She alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP) are opposed to reservations.

"If the intentions of NDA or INDI Alliance would have been pure, they would not have tried to meddle with the SC/ST reservation. I appeal to all parties to clear their stance on the issue," she said in the press release.