Mayawati Criticizes Supreme Court’s Sub-Classification Ruling: Claims Government Supported the Decision

Lucknow August 4 2024 : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has expressed strong disapproval of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that allows states to create sub-classifications within Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Addressing the media in Lucknow on Sunday, Mayawati stated that her party fundamentally disagrees with the verdict.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to permit sub-classifications within SCs and STs is unacceptable to us,” Mayawati asserted. She criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, alleging that it did not oppose the decision and, in fact, facilitated it. “The government did not resist this ruling. Instead, their legal representatives argued in ways that contributed to this decision. Both Congress and government lawyers played roles that helped sway the Supreme Court,” she added.

Mayawati suggested that the BJP’s actions indicate a deliberate attempt to undermine reservation benefits. “Rather than directly ending reservations for SCs and STs, they are using the judiciary to achieve this, and they have been largely successful,” she claimed.

The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Thursday granted states the authority to make sub-classifications within SCs and STs. This decision, delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, overturned the 2004 EV Chinnaiah vs. State of Andhra Pradesh judgment, which had deemed such sub-classifications impermissible. The current ruling, with a 6:1 majority, includes provisions for states to identify and exclude the ‘creamy layer’ within these communities from reservation benefits.

The bench, besides Chief Justice Chandrachud, included Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma. Justice Trivedi was the sole dissenter in this case.

The ruling has prompted reactions from other political groups. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), part of the ruling NDA coalition, has announced plans to file a review petition challenging the decision. Similarly, the Republican Party of India (Athawale) has stated its opposition to applying the creamy layer criteria to SC/ST reservations.