Supreme Court ruling on sub-categorisation: National parties cautious about reacting to verdict

New Delhi: National parties like BJP and Congress are treading with extreme caution in fleshing out a response to the recent Supreme Court order on sub-categorisation of Schedule Castes, an issue that could have far-reaching political consequences as the verdict fundamentally alters the Constitutionally mandated affirmative action plan followed since Independence.

Even five days after the apex court judgment that allowed sub-classification of the 15 per cent reservation for the Scheduled Castes in government jobs and education, only two — CPM and BSP — of the six national parties have come out with a response.

While the CPM has called upon the government to see "backward sections within the SCs are brought into the fold of affirmative action", Bahujan Samaj Party broke its silence on Sunday with party chief Mayawati opposing this "Emergency-like" situation.

"Atrocities are faced by SCs and STs as a group. This group is equal. It will not be right to do any kind of sub-classification," Mayawati said in Lucknow.

Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party, an NDA ally, has already announced it will seek a review of the order which is evoking a sharp response within the community.

"It is a decades-old Hindutva project to divide the Dalits" avers Chandra Bhan Prasad, a Dalit writer and activist.

Considering the sensitivity of the matter, both BJP and Congress are playing it safe as they field state leaders to test the mood of the people before drafting a formal response.

Karnataka and Telangana CMs have welcomed the order on sub-classification. So has former Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai from the BJP, who has sought its early implementation.

These reactions are also aimed at addressing state-specific issues. In Telangana, the Madiga population among the Dalits has been demanding quota within quota, while in Karnataka the Left Dalit population has sought a more equitable distribution of the quota pie.

But the more complex and vexing political issue emanating out of the order is the suggestion to introduce creamy layer criteria in the SC quota.

The creamy layer criteria, hitherto used only in OBC reservation, will restrict quota benefits to anyone who crosses the economic threshold across the sub-categorised SC bloc.

There is also a concern within the larger SC community that once introduced, the provision may adversely affect their representation in government jobs. With a large number of SC-ST quotas not being filled in government jobs, the argument that the creamy layer is impeding the equitable distribution of the quota pie does not hold water, they say.