OBC reservation: Govt planning to move SC for more time

The government is considering moving the Supreme Court seeking three months’ time to fix reservations for other backward castes (OBCs) by studying their political backwardness, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy said on Thursday.

“We have also asked Justice Bhaktavatsala to submit a report at the earliest,” he said, referring to the committee formed under the retired HC judge to study the political backwardness of the OBCs.

The Supreme Court, Madhuswamy said, had directed state governments to hold elections to local bodies in two weeks by maintaining only SC/ST reservations.

Karnataka, however, has been providing OBC reservation in local bodies since 1983 and the government cannot stop it now, he said.

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“We will seek clarity from the court on whether we can follow the reservation followed by the state since 1983 and hold elections,” he said.

Madhuswamy asserted that the government will hold elections only after guaranteeing reservation for OBCs in local bodies, Madhuswamy added.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai chaired a meeting with Madhuswamy, the advocate-general and others to review the options before the government.

“Our main concern is, so far OBC reservations are being given in local body elections as per the Constitution. Now, we want to conduct elections by giving the OBC reservations. We’re thinking of how this can be done,” Bommai told reporters earlier in the day.

“There are many options. Madhya Pradesh, in its review petition, has said that they, too, have constituted a commission. We’re observing this,” he said.