Former union minister welcomes SC order on EWS quota, seeks reservation in private sector

BHOPAL: Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Uma Bharti on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court's decision upholding 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs, and demanded quota in the private sector also.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister also said that 27 per cent reservation for the Other Backward Classes can also be implemented under special circumstances in states like MP, where the OBC population is high. In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court by a majority view of 3:2 on Monday upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to the EWS in admissions and government jobs.

Also Read | Supreme Court upholds 10% EWS reservation for admission, government jobs

The court said the quota does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice U U Lalit pronounced four separate verdicts on 40 petitions challenging the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment promulgated by the Centre in 2019.

Welcoming the decision, Uma Bharti in a tweet said, “All the poor people have the same caste, they are poor. This reservation will bring unity in the country. My appeal is that all the needy people in the world unite and fight their battle for a better life." "We should implement the system of reservation in the private sector also,” she said in another tweet.