Bhim Army takes out protest march against SC ruling on reservation in promotions

A large number of Bhim Army members took out a protest march on Sunday against the Supreme Court's ruling that state governments are not bound to provide reservation in promotions in public services.

Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Aazad led the protest march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar. He has given a call for a 'Bharat Bandh' on February 23 demanding that the government brings an ordinance to nullify the ruling.

Harjeet Singh Bhatti, the spokesperson of the Bhim Army, said, "The judgment of the apex court is totally against the Constitution's promise of right to equality."

The Supreme Court has held that states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments and there is no fundamental right to claim quota in promotions.

The apex court said this while dealing with pleas regarding Uttarakhand government's September 5, 2012 decision to fill up all posts in public services in the state without providing reservations to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The government's decision was challenged in the Uttarakhand High Court, which struck it down.