Amend Constitution for OBC quota in promotions: PMK to Centre

The Pattali Makkal Katchi on Saturday urged the Centre to come forward to amend the Constitution to ensure promotions for Other Backward Classes in government service.

A day after the Madras High Court declared ultra vires and unconstitutional the Tamil Nadu government fixing seniority and conferring promotions for its employees based on reservation, the PMK wanted the state government and those committed to social justice to exert pressure on the Centre on the matter.

Citing the judgment, PMK founder-leader S Ramadoss said when viewed legally and on the touchstone of Supreme Court guidelines the High Court verdict can neither be faulted nor criticised.

At the same time, when looked through the prism of social justice, denying backward class people, their rights on unreasonable grounds is not acceptable, he said in a statement.

"The basis of social justice is about giving reservations not only in appointments but also in promotions; how it can be social justice if backward and most backward classes retired from the same posts to which they were appointed."