Bahujan Samaj Party will lead a State-wide agitation to bring pressure on the government to enact a law to protect reservation in promotions, BSP state unit president N. Mahesh said in Bidar on Monday. The dates will be decided later.
“The Supreme Court judgement quashing reservation in promotions has come as a death blow to social justice. Though this was delivered in connection with the State of Karnataka, it can have nationwide ramifications. The State and Central legislative bodies have to take this up immediately,” Mr. Mahesh told presspersons.
According to him, the judgement would affect the careers of over 10,000 State government employees. It was delivered as the State government did not argue well before the court in favour of the reservation facility in promotions. The State assembly should pass a bill reinstating reservations and keeping it out of the purview of judicial review by including it in the ninth schedule of the Constitution, he said.
Mr. Mahesh urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to set aside one day of the State assembly to discuss this issue. There is a bill pending in the Parliament regarding reservation in promotions. It should be passed soon, he said. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge should push for it, he said. He also urged the 52 MLAs from SC/ST constituencies pressurise the State government.
Mr. Mahesh later addressed a meeting of party workers and asked them to gear up for the 2018 Assembly and 2019 Parliament polls.
