Rajya Sabha members from the DMK and BJP unusually made common cause on Tuesday to demand that the government bring in a law to break the constitutional deadlock in the enforcement of OBC reservations in local body elections. The Supreme Court in a recent judgement held that OBC reservations in local body elections could be implemented only when empirical data is available and only when a dedicated Commission approves it.
Speaking on the subject DMK MP P. Wilson said the government should either release the data that was collected as part of the 2011 Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) or bring in a law that mandates “reservations for OBCs in local body elections based upon the empirical data collected by States under Article 342 A(3) and uphold social justice at the local body level.”
He pointed out that the constitutional reservations for OBCs in local body elections were brought in the year 1992. However, even 28 years later “we are yet to implement the OBC reservations fully”, he said.
“In 2011 at an expense of ₹4,893 crore a caste census was initiated. The SECC raw caste data was collected by the Union Government in 2015 and the Cabinet Committee Chaired by the Prime Minister decided to screen the raw caste data through an expert Committee under the NITI Aayog to find out any infirmities. Yet, till today, the said committee is not allowed to function,” Mr. Wilson said.
The BJP government has announced that it will file a review petition to allow political reservation of OBCs but so far it has not been done.
“On the one hand the Constitution provides for OBC reservations but on the other hand, the Union Government doesn’t have the political will to release the caste census data and thus empirical data cannot be obtained by the States. Without such empirical data, the Courts are striking down State reservation policies,” Mr. Wilson said.
Earlier, BJP MP Sushil Modi too raised the same issue expressing concern about the situation.
