SAD urges Punjab govt to declare there will be no tampering with reservation policy

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Sunday urged the Punjab government to immediately declare that it would not tamper with the current reservation policy in appointments and promotions in government service.

"The reservation given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should not be diluted in any way despite a recent judgement of the apex court which says states are not legally bound to provide reservation in government jobs and promotions," said senior SAD leader Charanjit Singh Atwal in a statement.

"The Punjab government should make an immediate declaration that it will stick to the current policy vis a vis reservation in government jobs and promotions to dispel the fear that has arisen in the minds of the SC population. Simultaneously we expect the Centre should also intervene in the same way as it did when the apex court had diluted the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act). Parliament was extended by a day and the status quo was maintained by law. Such affirmative action is needed now also," he said.

He said the Preamble of the Constitution recognised India's past of injustices that left the country a legacy of vast inequality and social inequity. "Reservation in government jobs seek to remove these inequalities," he added.

Atwal said the SAD was of the firm belief that reservations should be read and interpreted as part of protections and in the spirit guaranteed in Articles 14,15 and 16 (4) of the Constitution. "Not doing so would be a grave injustice to the SC community," he said adding the SAD would do its utmost to ensure this right was not snatched from the SC community.