AGARTALA, Feb 10 (TIWN): Parliament might witness a stormy proceeding today as Congress and few other political parties may go in protest against Supreme Court’s new rule saying, SC/ST reservation is not fundamental right. Congress said, protest to be against the order inside and outside the Parliament demanding a new order should be passed by the Centre.

Sources said that in states also parties will oppose it. Nevertheless, already, in Tripura Communist Party’s youth wings, specially its tribal youth wing TYF has demanded that not only in Govt but in private sectors also SC/ST reservations must be mandatory.

The Congress on Sunday said it disagreed with the Supreme Court’s decision on the issue of reservation in appointments and promotions, and alleged that the rights of SC/ST communities are under threat during the BJP rule.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress General Secretary Mukul Wasnik said the party will raise the issue inside and outside parliament. The Supreme Court held that States were not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there is no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions.

“In view of the law laid down by this court, there is no doubt that the State government is not bound to make reservations. There is no fundamental right which inheres in an individual to claim reservation in promotions,” a bench of justices L. Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta said. The court said this while dealing with pleas regarding Uttarakhand government’s September 5, 2012, decision when the Congress was in power in the State, to fill up all posts in public services in the State without providing reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. “We respectfully say that we do not agree with this decision...the rights of SC/STs are not secured under the BJP government,” Mr. Wasnik said.

“The Congress party believes that the appointment of SC/ST people to government posts should not be at the discretion of governments, but it is the fundamental right conferred by the Constitution,” he said. Echoing similar sentiments, Congress spokesperson Udit Raj, who was also present at the press conference, said the matter shows the contradiction between the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the State, as the Centre in a similar case had pushed for reservation in promotions. Taking on the saffron party, the Dalit leader said, “The BJP is basically against Dalits and reservation.”

BJP ally Lok Janshakti Party also asked the Union government on Sunday to take immediate measures to ensure that the reservation benefits for the Scheduled Castes and Tribes besides the Backward Classes continue in the same manner as they have been for decades. LJP president Chirag Paswan tweeted to express his party’s disagreement with a Supreme Court decision that States are not bound to give quota to these communities in government jobs or promotion.