All party meet 'rejects' Constitutional Amendment providing 10 per cent quota to EWS
Chennai (PTI): An all Legislative party meeting chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said it "rejected" the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10 per cent EWS quota by the Centre, saying it created "caste-discrimination" among the poor.
The meeting, boycotted by Principal opposition AIADMK and its ally BJP, urged the state government to "strongly" register its opinions when a review petition is filed.
The ruling DMK has already announced it will file a review petition against the November 8 five-judge Supreme Court bench upholding the 10 per cent reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The quota was upheld 3-2 by the bench.
"We reject the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10 per cent reservation to castes that have progressed since it is against the social justice envisioned by the Constitution, against various Apex court verdicts, and for creating caste discrimination among the poor," the all-party meeting resolved on Saturday.
"When a review petition is filed in the Supreme Court in this connection, we request the Tamil Nadu government to also strongly place its opinions to ensure social justice and equality," the resolution read.
While the participating parties supported poverty alleviation schemes, "we will not allow the basic values of social justice concept to be shattered."
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy said all those who attended the meeting chaired by the CM, extended support on the issue.
DMK allies Congress, the Left parties, MDMK and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), besides NDA constituent Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) participated in the Stalin-chaired meeting.
He questioned the absence of the AIADMK, pointing out that its stalwarts, the late chief ministers MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, always stood for social justice.
The meeting was convened by the state government to discuss the next course of action in the wake of the November 8 SC ruling on EWS quota.
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Ajit Doval briefs Putin on Modi's Kyiv visit
New Delhi, Sep 12: National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Thursday briefed Russian President Vladmir Putin on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv amid renewed efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Ukraine conflict.
Doval met Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace in St Petersburg on the margins of a conclave of the (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) grouping.
"As the prime minister told you during a telephone talk that he was keen to brief you about his visit to Ukraine and his meeting with President Zelenskyy. He (PM Modi) wanted me to come and personally brief you about the talks," Doval told the Russian President.
The NSA said the Modi-Zelenskyy talks were in a very "close format".
"I have come here on the direction of Prime Minister Modi who has conveyed his highest regards to you. His visit to Moscow was greatly successful and he was highly satisfied with the visit," Doval was heard conveying to Putin in a video released by Russian media.
The Putin-Doval meeting came nearly three weeks after Modi travelled to Ukranian capital Kyiv and held talks with Zelenskyy.
Last week, the Russian President, speaking at a panel discussion at the Eastern Economic Forum in the Russian city of Vladivostok named India, Brazil and China as possible intermediaries that could play a role in resolving the conflict.
In the meeting with Doval, Putin proposed a bilateral meeting with Modi on October 22 on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan next month.
The summit of the grouping will be held in Kazan from October 22-24. Modi is set to attend the summit.
In his talks with Zelenskyy, Modi said both Ukraine and Russia should sit together without wasting time to end the ongoing war and that India was ready to play an "active role" to restore peace in the region.
The prime minister said India was on the side of peace since the beginning of the conflict and he would even like to contribute personally for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Modi's nearly nine-hour visit to Ukraine, the first by an Indian prime minister since its independence in 1991, came six weeks after he held summit talks with Putin in Moscow.
In the last few days, there has been calls for India's potential role in pushing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine as New Delhi has good relations with both the nations.
India has been maintaining that the conflict in Ukraine must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy.
On Saturday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following her talks with Zelenskyy said India and China can play a role in finding a solution to the dragging conflict.
A Kremlin readout of Putin-Doval meeting said the Russian president "noted the successful development of the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia and stressed the importance of security issues in bilateral relations, thanking the Indian side for maintaining dialogue in this area."
It said the Russian president proposed the bilateral meeting with Modi to "summarise the outcomes of joint work" on the implementation of the agreements reached during the Indian leader's visit to Moscow and to outline prospects for the near future.
"We are waiting for our good friend Modi and best regards to him," the Russian media quoted Putin as saying in the meeting with Doval.
On Wednesday, the NSA held wide-ranging talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu focusing on important issues of "mutual interests".
"Both sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed important issues of mutual interest," the Indian embassy in Russia said on the talks between Doval and Shoigu.
