Interests of SC/ ST safe only in hands of Ambedkarite BSP: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has lashed out at BJP-led central government for not taking any concrete steps against the Supreme Court ruling that permits sub-classification within reservation categories for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

In a series of posts on social media platform X, Mayawati said, "It is very sad and worrying that the Centre has not yet taken any concrete steps to restore the old system as per public expectations against the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court dated 1 August 2024 to implement the new rules of classification and creamy layer in SC/ST reservation".

She alleged that the central government is not serious about making necessary amendments in the matter despite the Bharat Bandh on August 21 adding that the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) anti-SC/ST attitude remains intact with the same intensity as before.

"The central government is not serious despite the Bharat Bandh on 21st August, if the Centre is not serious about making necessary amendments in this matter, then it is a matter to think about. First the poor advocacy in the Hon'ble Court and now not bringing the Constitution Amendment Bill for it proves that the BJP's anti-SC/ST reservation attitude remains intact with the same intensity as before" the BSP supremo said.

Mayawati also hit out at the INDIA bloc, adding that the interest of the marginalised classes is only safe in Ambedkarite BSP.

"The silence of Congress, SP and their Indi alliance in this matter is equally dangerous. This proves once again that both the parties and their alliances are birds of the same feather. The welfare and upliftment of SC/ST classes and the interest of these classes is safe only in the hands of Ambedkarite BSP," she said

Earlier on Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati extended her support to the 'Bharat Bandh' called against the Supreme Court ruling that permits sub-classification within reservation categories for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The 'Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti' observed a day-long Bharat Bandh today to protest the Supreme Court's recent judgment on reservations.

The apex court in a landmark ruling on August 1, ruled that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs and said that the authority concerned, while deciding if the class is adequately represented, must calculate adequacy based on effective and not quantitative representation.

The Supreme Court ruled by a majority judgement of 6:1, that sub-classification within the SCs and STs reservation is permissible. As many as six separate opinions were delivered in the case.