The High Court on Friday struck down the 2019 law raising OBC reservation from 14 per cent to 27 per cent, holding it unconstitutional and contrary to the 50 per cent reservation ceiling laid down by the Supreme Court. The court said there were no extraordinary circumstances to justify the increase.
Addressing a joint press conference, MP Congress president Jitu Patwari and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Umang Singhar slammed the BJP government and accused it of failing to effectively defend the reservation policy and present adequate data before the court.
“The Congress will continue its legal and democratic struggle for 27 per cent reservation for OBCs. The party will hold a meeting to decide its future strategy and launch an awareness campaign. The Congress will seek the assistance of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Vivek Tankha, besides other legal experts, to challenge the HC verdict,” Patwari said.
The state BJP government had spent heavily on legal proceedings but failed to secure a favourable outcome for the OBC community, Patwari said while seeking an explanation on this “ineffective representation” in court.
Singhar accused the BJP government of failing to protect OBC rights.
Referring to the High Court’s 159-page order, he questioned the relevance of old data and the adequacy of a survey of just 10,000 people to assess the social conditions of a state with around 7.26 crore people.”Why did the BJP government fail to effectively present its case despite spending resources on collecting and analysing data. There should be a clear response from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The BJP has failed to protect the rights of the OBC community despite seeking its support,” Singhar claimed.
Patwari said the Congress remained committed to implementing 27 per cent OBC reservation if it forms government in Madhya Pradesh after the 2028 assembly polls. He also urged OBC leaders to unite and pressure the government on the issue.
The Congress leaders said the Mohan Yadav government must public a concrete action plan to secure the 27 per cent quota for OBCs.
The BJP has been claiming that the Kamal Nath-led Congress government had prepared documents in 2019 in haste and without verifying the facts.
