Constitute expert team on quota issue: PMK

Chennai, Jan 28: Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) Founder President S Ramadoss today requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to constitute an expert team with senior lawyers and retired Judges of High Courts as its members to validate Tamil Nadu government's arguements in the Supreme Court (SC) regarding inclusion of 69 per cent reservation in the ninth schedule of the Constitution.

Participating in a seminar ''Supreme Court Judgement on the Ninth Schedule and the Status of the 69 per cent Reservation in Tamil Nadu'', organised by the city-based 'Advocates Forum for Social Justice' here, Mr Ramadoss said the team should help the lawyer, appearing for the state government in the case.

He also wanted the states ruled by the Chief Ministers from Backward Classes to call for a one-day general strike to express their sentiments so that ''those giving unfair judgements would reconsider it.'' He pointed out that there was no mention about the reservation limit to 50 per cent in the Constitution. The states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh are ruled by the Chief Ministers hailing from Backward Classes.

They should join hands and organise a one-day general strike, without condemning the Judgement, but to create awareness among the public about the crisis, which would arise due to the recent judgement of the Supreme Court, he added.

''When 27 per cent reservation was provided in the Centrally- administered higher education institutions. It was decided to be implemented from next year in a phased manner. No Chief Minister had raised voice for implementing it from this year and at one go,'' he added.

Dr Ramadoss came down heavily on the judiciary for ''judicial activism'' encroaching into legislative domain. Former Himachal Pradesh High Court Chief Justice M N Rao said no frontline political leaders hailing from the Backward Class had raised their voice on the issue. Allaying fears of the SC/ST communities that creamy layer concept would be applied to them, he said it was not mentioned in the Nagaraju Vs Union of India judgement.

Retired Judge of Madras High Court Mr Justice K P Sivasubramaniam said if providing reservation was found valid by the Court, then the quantum of reservation should be decided by the Legislative and not by the Judiciary.

While implementing the 50 per cent reservation as stipulated by the Supreme Court, the reservation for SC and ST should not be included in it and they should be treated as seperate section. Then the 69 per cent reservation in the state would be safeguarded, he added.

He also underlined the need to reconsider the decision to deny reservation based on population.

In a resolution, the seminar urged the Tamil Nadu government to file a review petition against the judgement on ninth schedule in the Supreme Court.

It also wanted that the petition should be heard by a larger bench, as it need to discuss the aspects of Kesavanantha Bharathi case judgement pronounced by a 13-member bench.

UNI