"Today's call for Bharat Bandh is political," says Union Minister Ramdas Athawale

New Delhi [India], August 21 (ANI): Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has termed today's Bharat Bandh announced by the Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti "political" and added that the bandh was not needed.
"I think everyone has the right to do what they want. The Supreme Court has said that there should be a criterion of creamy layer in the Scheduled Caste reservations. But we all met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he said that the creamy layer wouldn't be implemented in SC reservations," Athawale told ANI.
"The SC reservation is based on caste, which is given based on the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar. There was no need for Bharat Bandh on this issue. We are all against the creamy layer in SCs and STs, but today's call for Bharat Bandh is political," he added.
A nationwide strike, known as "Bharat Bandh," is taking place across the country in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST reservations. The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti announced the Bharat Bandh as a mark of protest against the SC's ruling on SC/ST reservations.
The Patna Police baton charged the people protesting in support of a day-long 'Bharat Bandh' on Wednesday against the SC's recent judgement.
An atmosphere similar to lockdown was seen in Rajasthan's Bikaner district. The people from the SC/ST community are monitoring by forming groups to make the shutdown successful. The police administration is also keeping a close watch on the area with full alertness so that no unusual incident takes place. The SC/ST people took out a procession from Kote Gate to the collector's office.
The impact of the bandh is also being seen in Jharkhand's capital city, Ranchi. The roads of Harmu Chowk, Kathal Mode, and Chapu Toli Chowk, have been completely blocked. The bandh supporters are protesting by burning tyres on the road.
Tight police arrangements have been made in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district ahead of a protest rally called by Bahujan Samaj Party and Bhim Sena amid the ongoing protest against the Supreme Court's recent judgement on reservations.
The apex court in a landmark ruling on August 1, ruled that states have the power to sub-classify SCs and STs and said that the authority concerned, while deciding if the class is adequately represented, must calculate adequacy based on effective and not quantitative representation.
The Supreme Court ruled by a majority judgement of 6:1, that sub-classification within the SCs and STs reservation is permissible. As many as six separate opinions were delivered in the case. (ANI)