Parliament is supreme on social change issue: PMK

Tindivanam, Tamil Nadu, Aug 31: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) Founder Leader S Ramadoss today underscored the supremacy of legislative bodies over the judiciary in matters involving social change.

Referring to the Supreme Court's decision to go into the Constitutional validity of the Tamil Nadu Reservation Act providing 69 per cent quota in educational institutions and employment and a nine-member Bench examining the validity of the subsequent law enacted by Parliament to include the Act under the IX Schedule for taking away the court's power of judicial review, Dr Ramadoss said the judiciary could not function as a third House of Correction as stated by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

''The judiciary should function within its limits. The power of legislature and Parliament is supreme in matters of social change as they represent the people,'' he stressed while calling for a nationwide debate on Mr Chatterjee's statement on the functioning of judiciary and the limits it should function.

The first debate will be held at New Delhi on September three.

Similar debates will be held at Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata among other places, Dr Ramadoss told reporters at his Thailapuram residence.

Dr Ramadoss also sought to clear the air on his party's views on 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in institutions of higher education. He said PMK was never against any party or individual but only sought to explain to the people on what actually happened in the quota issue and expressed its dissatisfaction with the manner in which the bill had taken shape.

The PMK chief also denied the party was politicising the issue.

Dr Ramadoss also welcomed the move by the Tamil Nadu Government to establish satellite townships but said it should be done without affecting the farmers.

He requested the government to drop the proposal to develop a township at Thiruporur as it would affect rich agricultural land.

The PMK leader hoped Chief Minister M Karunanidhi would take appropriate steps to ensure the welfare of the farmers.

UNI