Cong MP asks Punjab CM to ensure quota to Mazhabi Sikhs, Balmikis
Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Nov, 2021 09:16 AM
New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib Manish Tewari has shot a letter to Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to ensure reservation to Mazhabi Sikhs & Balmikis.
In a three page letter written on November 8, Tewari said, "I am requesting Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to kindly ensure 50 per cent reservation granted to Mazhabi Sikhs & Balmikis out of 22.5 per cent way back in 1975, is upheld when matter comes up before a 7 or 9-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court when constituted shortly."
The matter pertains to a Punjab government circular of 1975 which says 50 per cent reservation will be granted to Mazhabi Sikhs & Balmikis out of 22.5 per cent in the reserved category of the SC.
The circular was struck down by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in 2006 and an SLP was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2008. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court in the larger bench.
The Congress MP wants that the matter be taken seriously as Channi is himself from the Scheduled caste. The state has highest population of the Scheduled Caste in the country. But Tewari raising the issue has political ramification ahead of the Punjab elections, where the Congress is eyeing Dalit votes.
Congress MP from the state has been critical of the new Chief Minister on the BSF issue and removal of Advocate General of the state.
Manish Tewari on Friday had asked the state government to move the Supreme court.
Responding to Akali Dal's allegation that he supported the notification, the Congress leader said: "My advice to the Punjab government has always been to file an original suit under Article 131 in the Supreme Court to get the order quashed."
Last week, Tewari had targeted his own government saying: "It has been close to a month now when Central Govt by notification extended BSF operational remit in Punjab to 50 km. Why till now notification has not been challenged by the Punjab Govt under Article 131 in the Supreme Court of India? Is opposition to it mere tokenism?"
According to the farmer leaders, the last rites of three farmers was performed as wish of their families and with full customs. While one family, demanding the re-postmortem, has refused to perform the cremation.
The Deputy Chief Minister, who is also holding the Health portfolio, said 2.16 lakh people got vaccinated on Tuesday. Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Hoshiarpur and Patiala were the top five districts in immunisation.
The meeting lasted over half an hour and it is understood that Mishra might have made his position clear in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Earlier, he went to his office in the North Block and stayed there for a while.
NCP national spokesperson and Maharashtra Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik slammed the "fraud" NCB operations,in which BJP leader Manish Bhanushali and "private detective" Kiran P. Gosavi were seen dragging out the accused. including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant.
In a statement here, he said the worst has started coming true as the Taliban have started showing their true colours by way of complete intolerance towards the minorities leading to their intimidation and destruction of their religious places.
Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders met the family of deceased farmer Lovepreet at the Chaukhada farm in Palia at around 9 p.m. on Wednesday. They later met the family of journalist Raman Kashyap, who was also killed in violence.
