CHENNAI: Water Resources Minister Durai Murugan on Saturday asserted the DMK government would take a decision acceptable to the Vanniayar community by consulting legal experts. This was in response to Opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami's remark that the SC upheld the quashing of the 10.5 per cent reservation for Vanniyars because the DMK regime failed to provide data to substantiate the quota.
Durai Murugan said the SC termed six of the Madras HC's seven reasons for quashing the reservation as wrong because of the DMK's efficient handling of the case. "The AIADMK government failed to obtain appropriate data to substantiate the separate reservations for the Vanniyar community. These are the reasons for quashing this reservation," Durai Murugan added.
The minister also recalled a discussion about the internal reservation that had taken place at the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission in 2012, during the AIADMK regime. Six of the seven members--including the Chairman of the Commission--opposed the internal reservation as the government had not provided caste-based data, he said.
He charged Palaniswami's government brought in the legislation for 10.5 per cent reservation to Vanniayars purely for electoral gains, ahead of the Assembly elections. "Now, Palnaiswami is maligning the legal battle carried out by the DMK government to protect the Vanniyar community's quota, '' he said.
Stating that PMK founder S Ramadoss reposed faith in CM Stalin for the reservations, the minister said, "Unable to digest the PMK's view, Palaniswami started blaming the DMK government."