Chennai: Deputy Chief Minister and AIADMK Coordinator O Panneerselvam’s remarks that the 10.5 per cent internal reservation provided to Vanniyars in education and employment opportunities within 20 per cent quota for Most Backward Classes (MBCs) is only a temporary arrangement have sparked a furore in Tamilnadu political arena.
While the DMK and its alliance partners were quick to claim that the AIADMK government had cheated the Vanniyars, Law Minister C Ve Shanmugam and PMK founder S Ramadoss denied it and said the reservation was a permanent one.
Panneerselvam’s comments came amidst reports that several other castes in the MBC category are upset over the reservation to Vanniyars and could hurt the AIADMKās prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections.
In February, the government of Tamilnadu had provided reservation for Vanniyars, a dominant caste group in northern Tamilnadu.
PMK has said in a statement that people who call the law providing 10.5 per cent quota to Vanniyars are ignorant about social justice. ‘The reservation granted to Vanniyars is not a caste issue, it is an issue related to the stateās social justice and developmentā¦ If a law is passed in the legislative assembly (and receives Governorās assent and published in the state gazette), it is permanent.
There is nothing called a ātemporary lawā. Until another law is passed to replace this, this Act will prevail, it added.