Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reiterated his commitment and resolve for the welfare and empowerment of the SC/ST communities.
On Friday, SC/ST MPs of the BJP met with PM Modi to discuss the reservation issue. After the meeting, PM Modi chaired a cabinet meeting where he categorically asserted that the principle of the creamy layer does not apply to reservations for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Taking to X, Kiren Rijiju said, “BJP’s SC/ST MPs met Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the reservation issue. The PM reiterated his commitment and resolve for the welfare and empowerment of the SC/ST communities.”
Bharatiya Janata Party MPs from the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, belonging to SC/ST communities, met with PM Modi at the Parliament House. The MPs jointly submitted a memorandum concerning the Supreme Court’s observation on the creamy layer for SCs/STs and demanded that this decision not be implemented.
PM Modi assured them that he would look into the matter, according to a BJP MP.
After meeting with PM Modi on August 9 in Parliament, BJP MP Prof. (Dr.) Sikander Kumar told ANI that a few days ago, the Supreme Court gave its decision on SC/ST reservations. A delegation comprising around 100 MPs from both Houses met with PM Modi to raise their concerns. “The PM listened to all the MPs and assured us that the government will act in their favor,” he said.
BJP MP Faggan Singh Kulaste mentioned that the Prime Minister had assured them that the Supreme Court’s decision should not be implemented. “We told the PM that the SC’s decision on identifying the creamy layer from SCs/STs and excluding them from reservation benefits should not be implemented. The PM also said that this should not be implemented,” he said.
On August 1, the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling, stated that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs. The court ruled that the authority concerned, while determining if a class is adequately represented, must base this on effective, not just quantitative, representation. The top court, in a 6:1 majority judgment, ruled that sub-classification within SCs and STs for reservation purposes is permissible.
BJP SC/ST MPs, including Kiren Rijiju, Arjun Meghwal, L. Murugan, V. Satish, Kamlesh Paswan (Rural Development), Savitri Thakur (MoS, Women and Child Development), Durgadas Uikey (MoS, Tribal Affairs), and Shantanu Thakur, attended the meeting.
The judgment, delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, overruled an earlier judgment in the EV Chinnaiah case, which had held that sub-classification was not permissible because SCs/STs form homogenous classes.
In addition to CJI Chandrachud, the other judges on the bench were Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M. Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma. Justice BR Gavai suggested that states develop a policy for identifying the creamy layer, even within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, to exclude them from the benefits of affirmative action.
Justice Bela M. Trivedi, in a dissenting opinion, disagreed with the majority judgment, stating that sub-classification within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is not permissible.