Mayawati: 'BSP disagrees with Supreme Court verdict on Reservation'

After the Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the States are not legally bound to provide quotas to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in government jobs, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati took to her official Twitter handle and stated that BSP does not agree with the Supreme Court on the matter.

Adding further, Mayawati also demanded the Centre to take positive steps on the matter and not let the matter remain on waiting, as kept by the previous Congress government.

Mayawati's tweet roughly translates as "BSP does not agree with what the honorable Supreme Court has said about reservation in promotion. Therefore, we demand the Central Government take immediate positive steps in this matter and not leave it in hanging like the previous Congress government."

READ | 'Reservation in promotions is not a fundamental right' says Supreme court in the key judgment

About Supreme Court's key judgment 

The case dates back to 2012 when then Congress-run Uttarakhand government had decided to fill vacancies without providing any reservation to SC/ST candidates. A challenge made to this decision saw the High Court set aside the 2012 proceedings in April 2019. In a review, the Court directed the State Government to collect quantifiable data regarding the inadequacy of the representation of SC/ST candidates in State jobs. The High Court opined that this data would enable the State Government to take a considered decision on providing or not providing reservations.

A challenge to his verdict, and other High Court verdicts touching upon similar issues, were disposed of by the Supreme Court together on Friday. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta held, "There is no doubt that the State Government is not bound to make reservations. There is no fundamental right which inheres in an individual to claim reservation in promotions. No mandamus can be issued by the Court directing the State Government to provide reservations."

READ | Why not talk about ending caste and not reservation?: Angry Lalu Prasad asks, then answers

'SC's decision': Govt on Opposition attack

A huge row erupted in the Parliament on Monday over a politically controversial Supreme Court order that reservations for promotions in government jobs are not a fundamental right, forcing an adjournment of the Lok Sabha. The ruling BJP and its allies were questioned by the Opposition. Politicians across parties called the order an unfair decision by the Apex court. While the government denied it had anything to do with the order, the Congress alleged that the BJP and its ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) were fundamentally against reservations.

READ | Mallikarjun Kharge slams BJP-led Centre over SC's verdict on reservation in promotion

READ | BJP, govt cannot distance themselves from SC verdict on the reservation, must spell out corrective measures: Chidambaram