'Process Initiated Under UPA': Congress Welcomes Supreme Court's Verdict On Quota For Poor

EWS Quota SC Verdict: Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Narendra Modi government should clarify what is its stand on the latest caste census.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh addresses a press conference, at AICC HQ in New Delhi (Source: File photo/PTI)

New Delhi: Welcoming the Supreme Court's decision on upholding the validity of providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to the economically weaker sections, the Congress on Monday said that the reservation is a result of the process initiated by the Manmohan Singh-led government.

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitutional Amendment, providing for 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections in admissions and government jobs, with a majority of three votes against two.

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the Narendra Modi government should clarify what is its stand on the latest caste census.

The court in its judgment said that EWS reservation does not violate the basic structure of the Constitution.

Ramesh said in a statement that the Congress welcomes the Supreme Court's decision regarding 10 percent reservation for the economically weaker sections of the general category.

"The amendment itself was the result of a process initiated by Dr Manmohan Singh's government in 2005-06 with the appointment of the Sinho Commission that submitted its report in July 2010. Thereafter, widespread consultations were held and the Bill was ready by 2014. It took the Modi Sarkar five years to get the Bill enacted," he said.

He claimed that it took five years for the Modi government to give the bill the shape of a law.

Earlier today, Bharatiya Janata Party also lauded the decision by the Supreme Court and said it is a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his "mission" to provide social justice to the country's poor.

BJP general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh said, "Supreme Court upholds the legality of EWS reservation for unreserved sections. Another big credit for PM Narendra Modi's vision of Gareeb Kalyan. A big boost in the direction of social justice ."

Echoing the view, BJP general secretary C T Ravi said the verdict is yet another victory for Modi in his mission to provide social justice to India's poor.

“The Constitution bench of the Supreme Court upholds the validity of the 10 per cent EWS reservation amongst the General Category. This is yet another victory for PM Shri Narendra Modi in his mission to provide social justice to India's Poor,” he tweeted. 

On Monday, a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, in a majority view of 2-3, upheld the validity of the 103rd Constitution amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to people belonging to economically weaker sections (EWS) in admissions and government jobs.