JAIPUR: The Rajasthan Government today moved a petition in the High Court proposing withdrawl of its two earlier circulars that led to denial of ST certificates to people having 'Meena' surname.
In another petition the state government also filed an affidavit in the Jodhpur bench of the High Court admitting that Meena and Mina are people of the same community.
The government also sought an early hearing in the 'Meena/Mina' dispute case, affecting reservation prospects of Scheduled Tribe category's major caste, an official spokesman said here.
The state government has petitiond in the High Court through Advocate General to withdraw its two circulars of September 30, 2014 and December 23, 2014 in which change in spelling (Meena or Mina) was banned.
Since then Meena community were up in the arm demanding withdrawal of the very circulars.
The state government's two circulars had led to denial of ST certificates to people having Meena surname. As per the government of India notification, it is the "Mina" community (not Meena) which belongs to the ST category, which have been enjoying reservation in government jobs, educational institutes and elections.
Raje government's decision to move to the court came against the backdrop of the massive demonstration today by Meena community leaders and people led by Congress' former union minister NamoNarayan Meena outside the state assembly demanding announcement of the withdrawal of the said circulars on the floor of the state assembly which is in session.
Former Congress Minister Meena also met the Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje with a delegation of former state Congress ministers and submitted a memorandum to this effect.
Before meeting the CM, NamoNarayan told reporters that the state government had no right to make differentiation of ST caste people on a spelling criteria, and the BJP government should announce the withdrawal of circulars on the floor of house.
For the last 26 years, Meena/Mina community under ST category was getting benefit of reservation in jobs, elections, and other places, but since the state government's two circulars last year the meena people were denied of certificate by district authorities.