Tamil Nadu CM calls all legislative party meet on Saturday over EWS row

CHENNAI:  CM MK Stalin has scheduled an all-legislative party meeting for Saturday to discuss the next course of action in the wake of the Supreme Court verdict upholding the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in forward castes in education and employment. Each party can nominate two representatives for the meeting. 

The DMK on Tuesday announced that it would take steps to file a review petition against the verdict. DMK general secretary Durai Murugan, in a statement, quoted the observation of one of the judges, Justice S Ravindra Bhat, that the Constitutional Amendment weakened social justice and thereby destroyed the basic structure of the Constitution. The VCK has already announced that it would appeal against the verdict.

Notably, the Congress and the CPM, two allies of the DMK, welcomed the verdict. TNCC president KS Alagiri went on to say that it was the former UPA government at the Centre that took the initiative to bring in reservation for EWS in forward castes. “Social justice does not belong to any side but to all humanity,” he said. 

CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said, though his party welcomed the verdict, the income ceiling set to avail of the benefit should be slashed. TMC(M) president GK Vasan also welcomed the verdict.
Meanwhile, TN government has constituted a committee, comprising legal experts, to ensure social justice in all fronts of the state administration. 

Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari, advocates NR Elango, A Arulmozhi, V Lakshmi Narayanan and social justice monitoring committee chairman Suba Veerapandiyan among others have been appointed to the panel.