Verdict on EWS quota a setback for social justice: TN CM Stalin

Chennai, Nov 07: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has termed the Supreme Court's split verdict for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) a 'setback' and said that he would consult the legal experts to decide his next course of action.

"Today's verdict in the reservation case for economically backward classes is a setback in the century-long struggle for social justice," ANI quoted Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin in a tweet. He further said, "After a thorough analysis of the judgment and consultation with legal experts, a decision will be taken regarding the next steps to continue our struggle against this system of reservation for the forward community which is against social justice."

Stalin has requested the like-minded organizations to join hands to make the voice of social justice resound across the country.

In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court by a majority view of 3:2 on Monday upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs.

The court said the quota does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice UU Lalit pronounced four separate verdicts on 40 petitions challenging the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment promulgated by the Centre in 2019.

While Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M Trivedi and J B Pardiwala upheld the law, Justice S Ravindra Bhat along with the CJI shot down the same in their minority view.

"Reservations are constitutionally valid only when made to achieve social equality and are not constitutionally valid when made on economic factors as per the judgements of this court. It is well settled that reservation cannot be a poverty alleviation scheme. Reservation is meant to remedy the handicap of prior discrimination impeding the access of classes of people to public administration/education. It is a remedy or a cure for the ill effects of historical discrimination. What qualifies for reservation is backwardness which is the result of identified past discrimination and which is comparable to that of the SC and the ST," the DMK, one of the parties in the case, told the Supreme Court, according to a report in The Times of India.