Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment A. Narayanaswamy said that the matter of internal reservation is sub-judice and pending in the Supreme Court when asked whether the Union Government is considering a constitutional amendment to allow Karnataka to provide internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs).
Answering a question in the Rajya Sabha on July 26, he further said that, of the 20 States and 2 Union Territories that have responded, 13 States had opposed the recommendation of National Commission to examine sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes to amend Article 341 of the Constitution.
The Minister’s response has created a stir in Karnataka, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government (2019-23) in Karnataka had got approval in the State Cabinet for internal reservation for SCs, held a convention in Hubballi to celebrate the development, and listed it among the achievements of the party in its election manifesto. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured the people of Karnataka that the Union Government would implement internal reservation.
