Jat quota agitation: OBC Aarakshan Raksha Samiti files caveat in SC, demands to be heard

A day after Haryana-based body of Jat community moved the Supreme Court challenging the stay on Jat quota by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, another group that aims to 'protect' the OBC quota, Thursday, approached the apex court and pleaded to be heard.

The OBC Aarakshan Raksha Samiti filed a caveat in the SC saying that the court should hear it before passing the court  decides on the plea against the Punjab and Haryana HC order.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court, on May 26, had stayed the reservation for Jats and five other communities while hearing a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the Haryana Backward Classes (reservation in services and admission in educational institutions) Act 2016 that was passed unanimously by the state Assembly on March 29.

In its plea, the All India Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) contended that the operation of a legislation passed by a state legislature cannot be stayed during the pendency of a writ petition.

It also deprecated the interim order of the High Court saying it amounted to granting final relief.

"The interim relief granted in favour of the petitioner amounts to grant of final relief which is not permissible under the law.

"...Because the High Court has committed a error of law by entertaining the writ petition contrary to its own PIL Rules, 2010," the leader of the Jat body said in his plea.

The petition said that the High Court "erred in law" in not holding that the state enactment was in accordance with law.

"While granting the interim stay the High Court has failed to appreciate that the admissions in the educational institutes are likely to take place in the coming months and there are students who would have taken admission under the reserved category but deprived of the same due to the interim stay order," it said.

The SC is likely to take up the case for hearing in a day or two, a report said.

With PTI inputs