Chirag Paswan expresses Disagreement with Supreme Court!

Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) and Union Minister, has expressed strong disagreement with the Supreme Court

Chirag Paswan, leader of the Lok Jan Shakti Party (LJP) and Union Minister, has expressed strong disagreement with the Supreme Court’s recent observation on the creamy layer among Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). Paswan announced his party will file a review petition against the apex court’s ruling. He emphasized that the basis for SC reservations is untouchability. Thus, the concept of a creamy layer should not apply, as Dalit individuals still face discrimination based on untouchability in various aspects of life. “We disagree with the observation of the Supreme Court and have prominently registered this disagreement. The base of the Scheduled Caste is untouchability,” Paswan stated to the media. He cited instances where prominent Dalit individuals continue to face discrimination, such as temples being washed with Ganga water after their visit.

The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on Thursday allowed states to sub-classify SCs and STs. The court stated that authorities must consider effective rather than quantitative representation when assessing the adequacy of representation. This judgment, delivered by a seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, overruled a previous decision in the EV Chinnaiah case, which held that sub-classification was not permissible because SC/STs form homogenous classes. The bench included Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath, Bela M Trivedi, Pankaj Mithal, Manoj Misra, and Satish Chandra Sharma. Justice Bela M. Trivedi, in a dissenting opinion, disagreed with the majority ruling that sub-classification within SCs and STs is permissible. Paswan and the LJP (Ram Vilas) argue that discrimination based on untouchability persists, reinforcing their stance against the Supreme Court’s observation and decision to seek a review.