Tamil Nadu: PMK criticized Tamil Nadu government

CHENNAI: PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss criticised the state government and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday for their refusal to initiate a caste survey in Tamil Nadu, which he said was essential to ensure 10.5% separate reservation for the Vanniyar community.

Shortly before Stalin moved a resolution in the Assembly, urging the Union government to conduct a caste census, Ramadoss addressed journalists and blamed the State government for shifting the responsibility of the issue onto the Centre. He said this demonstrated the DMK government’s unwillingness to provide separate reservations to Vanniyars, calling it a betrayal of the community.

Accusing the DMK of exploiting the Vanniyar reservation issue for political gain, Anbumani pointed out that the same party had promised 15% reservation to the community during Vikravandi bypoll in 2019.

He said that the SC, in its judgment on the issue, had said that the TN government can provide internal reservation to the Vanniyar community after collecting and studying necessary data, which justifies such a policy decision.

SC observed quota offered sans pertinent data: Minister

Responding to PMK’s allegations, Tamil Nadu Minister for Law S Regupathy alleged that the 10.5% reservation for Vanniyars, which was struck down by the Supreme Court, was brought in by the previous AIADMK government for political gain. He said that SC had observed that it was done without collecting pertinent and contemporaneous data.

He said the Tamil Nadu government has provided additional terms of reference to the Justice V Bharathidasan-headed Tamil Nadu Backward Classes Commission to analyse the status of the backward communities and data on government appointments and student admissions have been provided to Commission in this regard.

However, the Commission has said that it was not in a position to decide on the issue of whether the communities seeking internal reservation are adequately represented in the absence of ‘primary’ population data and just based on the ‘secondary data’ provided by the government. He said this was why a proper caste-based census has become a necessity and a resolution in this regard was passed by the Assembly.