‘Historic’, says Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday called the Supreme Court’s ruling on internal quota for Scheduled Castes and Tribes ‘historic’, and said that a major obstacle in the implementation of internal reservation has been removed thanks to the verdict.

The Supreme Court today held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes that form a socially heterogeneous class, for granting reservation for the uplift of castes that are socially and economically more backward. Posting on social media platform X, Siddaramaiah said that the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the authority of state governments to identify and provide internal reservations for the most backward among the Scheduled Castes is a historic one.

“I wholeheartedly welcome this judgment.” He elaborated: “With the Supreme Court’s verdict, a major obstacle in the implementation of internal reservations has been removed. We will consult with Scheduled Caste leaders and legal experts regarding the contentious aspects of the verdict, including the issue of the creamy layer, and take appropriate action.” He gave the assurance that the Congress party is committed to providing internal reservation within the Scheduled Castes category. “Our government is committed to implementing the report of the committee chaired by Justice A J Sadashiva, which was created by the Congress party, as promised in our last assembly election manifesto,” he said.

“Meanwhile, before the last assembly election, the BJP government in the state hurriedly made a decision on internal reservations and sent it to the central government. Despite the Usha Mehra Committee, created by the central government, clearly stating that internal reservations within the Scheduled Castes could be implemented through a constitutional amendment, the central government has so far failed to take any decision and has pushed it aside,” he alleged.

In the light of the current Supreme Court decision, the state government will thoroughly study the recommendations of the Justice A J Sadashiva Committee, he said. If necessary, considering recent developments, a clear decision regarding internal reservations will be taken through consultation and negotiation, he added.