Jaya accuses TN govt as ''political fraud'' in reservation issue

Chennai, Nov 29 (UNI) Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa today described the state government's decision to provide exclusive reservation for Arundhathiyars as a ''political fraud'' aimed at making gains in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

In a statement here, Ms Jayalalithaa said the Government's announcement of three per cent exclusive reservation for Arundhathiyars, sub-case of scheduled caste, was a political fraud as the state government had no right to provide exclusive reservation and the right vested only with the Centre.

She said according to article 341 of Constitution, the President alone could issue a notification, providing exclusive reservations for the sub-castes in the scheduled caste, in consultation with the governors of state and union territories. The Parliament had the right to change the scheduled list after President's notification, she said.

However, the DMK Government committed a fraud by unilaterally announcing three per cent reservation for Arundhathiyars to please them and vote in favour of the DMK in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

She said Arundhathaiyars, who had been supporting late leader M G Ramachandran, were supporting her after MGR's death. However, keeping the coming Lok Sabha elections in mind, the DMK Government has announced the concession, in a bid to earn their support, she charged.

Ms Jayalalithaa said when she was the Chief Minister, Arundhathiyars, Adi Dravidas and Devendrakula Vellalar people requested that they be provided exclusive reservations, but her enquiries with legal experts showed that the state government could not do it and only the Centre could announce exclusive reservation.

As the then Central Government was against her, their demands could not be implemented, she said. Had Chief Minister M Karunanidhi was really interested in providing exclusive reservation for the Arundhathiyars, he could have done it soon after coming to power, she said.

Instead, Mr Karunanidhi waited all these years and announced the concession at the time of Lok Sabha elections, she said and appealed to the Arundhathiyars not to be hookwinked by the announcement.

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