Quota: Left for upholding constitutional direction

New Delhi, Apr 23: Regretting the Supreme Court's ruling rejecting to vacate the stay on implementation of the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in higher education, the Left parties today demanded that the Centre take immediate measures to uphold constitutional and legislative direction.

While the CPI(M) polit bureau issued a statement terming the Apex Court's decision ''regrettable'', the CPI said it is strange that the two-member bench of the court declined to vacate the stay.

The SC today dismissed the revision petition of the Centre seeking vacation of the stay granted by the apex court on March 29, 2007 against the implementation of the notification, providing 27 per cent reservation in admissions to IIMs and IITs and post- graduate medical science courses.

With today's order, the OBC candidates, hoping to get admissions on the basis of 27 per cent reservations, would have to wait for the next academic session.

The CPI(M) statement said given the fact that Parliament amended the constitution through the 93rd Constitutional Amendment to pave the way for such reservation, the onus of its implementation was also on it.

''Parliament, which is meeting on Thursday, should take necessary steps to ensure that the constituinal direction is upheld and the legislation gets implemented,'' it added.

CPI National Secretary Shamim Faizi said it was strange that the Divisional Bench of the apex court had not taken into account arguments put forward by the government in its revision petition.

The government, the CPI leader added, did not state that the 1931 census alone was the basis for 27 per cent reservations to the OBCs.

"Therefore to insist upon the census on the basis of caste, is the certain way to putany affirmative action for the OBCs into cold storage,'' Mr Faizi, who is also editor of 'New Age,' CPI mouthpiece, said.

He pleaded that the Centre should now take necessary legislative measures to ensure that the constitutional direction was honoured from this academic session only.

UNI