The Bhim Army on Sunday took out a protest march in Delhi against the Supreme Court’s ruling that state governments are not bound to provide reservation in promotions in public services.
Its chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad also joined the protest march, which started from Mandi House. The protesters said they will march to Parliament.
“The judgment of the apex court is totally against the Constitution’s promise of right to equality,” Harjeet Singh Bhatti, spokesperson of the Bhim Army, said.
In a major judgement, on February 9, the Supreme Court ruled that reservation for appointments and promotions to public posts is “not a fundamental right”.
The apex court in its ruling stated that there is “no fundamental right which inheres in an individual to claim reservation in promotions”, and also no court can order a state government to provide for reservation to SC/STs.
“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. No mandamus can be issued by the Court directing the State Government to provide reservations,” a bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Hemant Gupta said.
Azad had earlier urged MPs and MLAs belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes to build pressure on the government to bring an ordinance to nullify the ruling.
He had on Wednesday called for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ on February 23 against a Supreme Court ruling that states were not bound to provide reservation in promotion and appointments in public employment and also reservation for appointments and promotions to public posts is “not a fundamental right.”