BJP ally Athawale opposes any move to apply creamy layer criteria in quota for SCs/STs

Mumbai: Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale on Friday strongly opposed any move to apply creamy layer criteria to reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, comments coming in the backdrop of a historic Supreme Court verdict on sub-classifications within these communities for wider quota benefits.

Athawale, who heads the Republican Party on India (Athawale), however, noted that the Supreme Court's decision of sub-classification of SCs/STs by states will provode justice to castes that are more backward among these groups.

He also demanded similar sub-classifications for OBCs and general category members.

"The reservation for SCs/STs is based on caste. The RPI (A) will strongly oppose any move to apply the criteria of creamy layer to reservation for SCs and STs," said Athawale, whose party is a constituent of the BJP-led NDA.

A seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud on Thursday held by a 6:1 majority that further sub-classification of SCs and STs by states can be permitted to ensure quotas for castes that are more backward among them.

Four out of the six judges who agreed that states are empowered to make sub-classifications wrote in their separate judgments that those in the creamy layer must be excluded from enjoying the benefits of reservation.

States must evolve a policy for identifying the creamy layer even among the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST) and deny them the benefit of reservation, Supreme Court judge Justice B R Gavai said.

Athawale said there are 1,200 Scheduled Castes in the country of which 59 are in Maharashtra.

He said as per the apex court judgement, the Maharashtra government should form a commission to study Scheduled Castes and subclassify them under A,B,C,D categories.

This will give justice to all castes falling under the SC category, maintained the Union minister.