The demand for 27 per cent reservation for other backward classes (OBC) in Madhya Pradesh has spilled over to streets with the organisation, OBC Mahasabha, holding a demonstration in Bhopal and trying to march to the CM House on Wednesday.
Police resorted to mild baton charge and arrested several protesters near Ambedkar Park in Bhopal to disperse them.
The office-bearers of the Mahasabha have accused the police of assaulting protesters, including women, while police officers claimed that the protesters abused cops and tried to assault them.
Mahasabha national secretary alleged that many of their members were injured, and police had taken the arrested members to an unknown place.
Politics raged on the issue through the day with former chief minister Kamal Nath coming out in support of the protesting OBC Mahasabha members.
“Our government decided to increase the reservation for the OBC section to 28 per cent from 14 per cent for their welfare. Due to lack of willpower, weak advocacy and poor presentation (in court), the reservation has not yet been implemented. Congress fully supports the agitation of the OBC Mahasabha,” Nath tweeted.
“I strongly condemn the use of force, suppression and arrest of the people participating in the agitation to put forth their demands. If the government can’t give justice to this section, it should at least not suppress them,” Nath further said.
The Kamal Nath-led Congress government had increased the reservation for OBC category to 27 per cent in March 2019. However, the MP High Court stayed this decision in the same month. Recently, on July 16, the High Court ordered continuation of interim stay on the decision and directed that the list of candidates selected through various exams should be announced on the basis of 14 per cent reservation, while 13 per cent seats should be left vacant.
Following this, the state government convened the meeting of its OBC welfare committee in the presence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and decided that the MP government will challenge the High Court order in the Supreme Court. The OBC Mahasabha has, however, decided to take a path of agitation to push their demand for increased reservation quota.
Putting in BJP and government versions on Wednesday, Urban Development and Housing Minister Bhupendra Singh said the BJP was totally in favour of OBC reservation of 27 per cent. The state government will be making a strong point in the court in favour of this increased reservation. “Rather, the Congress does not want the OBC reservation of 27 per cent. The Congress has always been against OBCs and there has never been an OBC chief minister of the party in the state. This section was not given any constitutional post. We are making all efforts to implement the increased reservation and I appeal to the protesters to call off their agitation,” Singh said.