Jabalpur

In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, a protest rally was held against the Supreme Court’s recent decision allowing sub-classification within reservation categories for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The Reservation Bachao Sangharsh Samiti organized a nationwide strike, Bharat Bandh, on August 21 to voice their objections.

Local organizations and traders in Jabalpur joined the strike, leading an eight-kilometer rally to demonstrate their discontent. Devesh Chaudhary, President of the Adivasi Bahujan Adhikar Kalyan Sangh, criticized the ruling, arguing that it undermines the Indian Constitution’s provisions. He stated that the decision to sub-classify reservations should be the President’s prerogative, not a state-level decision, and warned that tampering with reservations could violate constitutional rights.

Chaudhary urged the Central government to convene an emergency parliament session to protect reservations by adding them to the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, preventing future judicial review and eliminating the creamy layer.

In Indore, Bhim Army members protested and submitted a memorandum to the President. Similar rallies took place in Gwalior and Ujjain, with various organizations voicing their concerns. The Bharat Bandh saw significant participation across the state, with police deployed to ensure security amidst the widespread demonstrations.