PANAJI: As a part of All India Conrgess Committee (AICC) programme to oppose move by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government to trample on the Constitution and its strategy to amend the provision of reservations for SC/ST/OBC communities, the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) will organise a protest dharna at Azad Maidan, Panaji at 3 pm on Thursday, February 20.
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court in its judgement on February 7, 2020 in the case of Mahesh Kumar v/s State of Uttarakhand, had held that the States were not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there was no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions.
The BJP government in Uttarakhand had argued that reservations were neither a fundamental right nor a constitutional duty. Ranjit Kumar, senior counsel appearing for the appellant and Mukul Rohatgi and P S Narsimha, senior counsel representing the Uttarakhand government contended that there was no fundamental right to claim reservation in appointments or promotions to public posts. There was no constitutional duty on the part of the State government to provide reservations.
GPCC president Girish Chodankar said that this was a complete betrayal of the trust and faith reposed in the Constitution and government both at the Centre and the State by the citizens of this country and especially those who belong to the SC, ST and OBC communities. The government was doing injustice to these backwad classes, he said adding that the Congress party will fight to protect these reservations.