BENGALURU: The injustice done to certain castes and sub-castes within the larger group of Scheduled Castes needs to be corrected, Former Union Minister KH Muniyappa and other senior community leaders on Monday. They were discussing the Supreme Court order that states can take action on the issue of reservation within reservation. Muniyappa said the State government should take it up during the legislative session in September, and pass it so the Union government can take it up in Parliament.
At the meeting, Muniyappa said that grave injustice has been done to many subcastes and subsects within the larger group of Schedule Castes because of this. He recalled that when Siddaramaiah was Karnataka Chief Minister, he had called for a meeting of scheduled caste leaders -- legislators, parliamentarians, officials and even retired officials -- who had given their opinions and consent regarding recommendations of the Sadashiva Commission, that reservation within reservation needs to be taken up.
But they couldn’t bring these recommendations into force because elections were declared thereafter. He said this problem is spread across the nation, and Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution need to be amended suitably. Now that the Supreme Court has said that States should be accorded the power to give reservation within reservation, he urged Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to take it forward. He said since the Congress and Janata Dal have already given their consent to it, the government should place it on the floor of the House and pass it unanimously.