Left upset over court's creamy layer views

Major political parties are yet to take a stand on the Supreme Court's ruling to exclude the creamy layer among scheduled castes and tribes from reservations even as the Left parties Friday expressed their disappointment over the directive.

"It (the apex court's ruling) is a judicial assault on the most oppressed sections of our society," said the Communist Party of India (CPI) in a statement released here.

The Supreme Court Thursday ruled that the more affluent and privileged - termed as creamy layer - among the scheduled castes and tribes quota beneficiaries should be kept out of the purview of reservation in government jobs and education.

"If it is not reversed, it will tremendously impact on scuttling and eventually dismantling the whole objective of affirmative action and the goal of education and employment for all," the CPI said.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) that leads the Left Front also expressed its disappointment over the apex court's ruling.

"The scheduled castes and tribes are not heterogeneous category like the other backward communities (OBC)," CPI-M leader Nilotpal Basu told IANS.

He said the party did not agree with any creamy layer among the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

The CPI-M, which along with other three Left parties shores up Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government, feels when the seats by non-creamy layers were full, the rest could go to the creamy layers among the backward classes.

Although admitting there could not be any creamy layer among the scheduled tribes, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Seshadri Chari said many in his party felt the affluent among the scheduled castes should not be allowed to avail of the benefits under the reservation.

"The party is yet to take a view on the Supreme Court's directive. But a large section of our party leaders think the creamy layer among the scheduled castes should be excluded from the quota," Chari told IANS.

The Congress party is yet to take a stance. "We are holding inner party discussions while the government is trying to evolve a consensus among other political parties," Congress secretary Tom Vadakkan said.

(IANS)

Viewer's Comment

Comments Not Available

More Stories