Chief Minister K Palaniswami Tuesday assured the Assembly that Tamil Nadu's 69 per cent reservation would continue and made it clear that a decision on implementing 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections will be taken following a consensus among parties.
After the Leader of Opposition M K Stalin raised the issue, Palaniswami said a meeting of recognised political parties would be convened to discuss the Centres proposal on implementation of 10 per cent quota and based on a consensus, a decision will be arrived at.
"The 69 per cent reservation will continue to be implemented," he said.
Speaking on a special attention motion, Stalin said the EWS quota among forward castes went against social justice, adding the Centre was for implementation of 10 per cent quota by offering 25 per cent more seats for MBBS.
Likening the 10 per cent quota to poison and opposing it, Stalin demanded to know the government's stand since late AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa was hailed as a "heroic leader who guarded social justice," for bringing in legal safeguards for 69 per cent reservation.
Batting for a consensus, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the case pertaining to the EWS was before the constitution bench of the Supreme Court.
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The opinion of the Advocate General and Delhi based senior counsels will be sought on the letter written to States by the Centre on implementing the 10 per cent quota, he said.
It would be ascertained from them if implementing the new quota regime would infringe the existing 69 per cent reservation policy, he added.
"All of us can hold a dialogue and decide to ensure that the 69 per cent reservation does not get reduced by even by 0.1 per cent," Panneerselvam said.
Health Minister C Vijayabhaskar, assuring that Tamil Nadu would not compromise on the existing 69 per cent reservation, said except Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, all other states have accepted the new quota.
He said that the Medical Council of India in its letter had stated that if states implemented the 10 per cent quota, they would be offered 25 per cent increase in medical seats sans upgradation of infrastructure.
Though States were asked to respond to the offer before June 28, Tamil Nadu has not replied to it, he pointed out.
When DMK MLA K Ponmudi said the government appeared to have accepted the reservation policy, Palaniswami refuted it.
The Health Minister had only explained the Centre's communication on reservation,which did not mean that the state government "supported or opposed," it, he said.
Out of the total of 1,000 seats, 150 will be earmarked for all-India quota, and of the remaining 850 seats, 264 will be for open competition.
The rest of 586 seats will be filled only on the basis of 69 per cent reservation, he said.