Politicians and Patidar quota campaigners in poll-bound Gujarat have welcomed the Supreme Court verdict upholding the economically weaker sections (EWS) reservation.
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the 10 per cent EWS reservation in a 3:2 verdict. While Justices Dinesh Maheshwari, Bela M Trivedi, and JB Pardiwala of the five-judge constitution bench upheld the reservation, Justice S Ravindra Bhat and Chief Justice of India (CJI) UU Lalit dissented and ruled against the provision.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is the Congress's senior observer for the upcoming Gujarat elections, said the Supreme Court judgement will help the poor people get justice.
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gujarat's former Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said the SC verdict will put an end to the agitations that were seen in the past in many states including Gujarat.
"The provisions (of 10 per cent EWS quota) upheld by the Supreme Court will strengthen the country's unity. The entire country is happy about this. I also welcome the verdict," said Patel.
What's EWS reservation?
The Narendra Modi government in 2019, through the 103rd amendment to the Constitution, enabled the state to make reservations for higher education and government jobs. The upper limit of such reservation was set at 10 per cent.
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The Supreme Court Oberver reports, "The Amendment under Article 15(6) enables the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any economically weaker section of citizens, including reservations in educational institutions...It further states that the upper limit of EWS reservations will be 10% (meaning up to 10% of seats can be reserved for citizens falling in the EWS category). This 10% ceiling is independent of ceilings on existing reservations.
"Article 16(6) enables the State to make provisions for reservation in appointments. Again, these provisions will be subject to a 10% ceiling, in addition to the existing reservations."
The Observer noted that the EWS reservation does not apply to minority institutions.
More than 40 petitions had challenged the EWS reservation. The Supreme Court's majority verdict ruled that the EWS reservation does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution.
How have Gujarat leaders reacted?
Gehlot said, "Committees were formed and at last this led to the constitutional amendment. I welcome the Supreme Court judgement. This will help the poor get justice. Our spirit should be that a poor person, irrespective of which community he belongs to, gets justice."
Gehlot further said the Rajasthan cabinet had for the first time in the country passed a resolution for reservation for the economically weaker sections when he was the chief minister of the state and BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister.
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BJP leader Hardik Patel, the former convener of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti that led the community's agitation for the reservation in 2015, said members of 68 communities will get the quota benefits.
"The decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been upheld by the Supreme Court. Members of 68 communities will get benefits in education and jobs. I feel proud that people will be benefited by our agitation," said Hardik.
Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Gujarat President Gopal Italia also welcomed the Supreme Court's EWS verdict and said a demand for the same was led by the Patidar community members and the state's youth like Alpesh Kathiriya, now an AAP leader.
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Italia said the demand for reservation to the EWS candidates was made by people from different parts of the country and it was led by the Patidar youth in Gujarat through the agitation in 2015.
"This was the demand of the whole country and it was led by the Patidar community and youth like Alpesh Kathiriya. I welcome this judgment of the Supreme Court and congratulate beneficiaries of the 10 per cent reservation," said Italia.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Reshma Patel, who had participated in the Patidar quota agitation, also welcomed the verdict.
"The verdict adds an extra virtue to the outcome of the struggle of the Patidar youth in Gujarat. A large section of people from the economically backward section will benefit from the judgment and 10 per cent EWS reservation," said Reshma.
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(With PTI inputs)
