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NT Bureau
Chennai, Apr 24:

        Chief Minister M Karunanidi has requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene the two Houses of Parliament immediately to discuss about the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in elite educational institutions.

        In a letter written to Prime Minister yesterday and a copy of which was released to press, Karunanidhi said since the Supreme Court had declined to vacate the stay, the only course open was to convene the two Houses of Parliament immediately to discuss and take appropriate and

        timely decision so that there was no reversal to the OBCs in the matter of reservation in the central educational institutions. Karunanidhi pointed out that the Tamilnadu Assembly had passed a resolution on 30 March urging the Centre to convene both Houses of Parliament to discuss about the 27 reservation for OBCs.

        He also said a total bandh was observed in Tamilnadu in the wake of Supreme Court order on quota. 'The people of Tamilnadu cutting across the party lines were very much agitated over the recent developments in regard to reservations for OBCs in the central educational institutions,' he said.

        He further said 'at this critical juncture, we are duty bound to extend a helping hand to the OBCs in order to lift them from a trying situation and they should not be let down. Therefore I kindly request you to take urgent action to protect the reservation of 27 per cent for OBCs in the central education institutions extended to then by the central educational institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006,' he said in the letter.

        'We have already taken a stand that OBC reservation can be implemented since the Supreme Court had only expressed its desire to keep on hold on aforesaid reservation and had not passed a categorical order staying the reservation for OBCs,' Karunanidhi said.

        The Chief Minister had sent identical letters to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and Union Law minister H R Bhardwaj.