Submitting its reply with the High Court on the decision to hike OBC reservation from 14 to 27 per cent, the State Government on Wednesday told the court that the said move is aimed at doing away with the backwardness of the OBC categories.

However the petitioner who had challenged the OBC reservation hike said he did not consider the reply in accordance with the constitution.

In the last hearing HC had expressed displeasure over non-submission of reply from the state government. Following which during the hearing on Wednesday, the state government submitted a detailed 500 page response with the court.

The reply mentioned that population of OBC categories in Madhya Pradesh is around 51 per cent and in order to and their social economical backwardness, reservation has been hiked from 14 to 27 per cent.

The HC put the reply in the record while the petitioner sought time to present his arguments. On this the court assigned two weeks time to the petitioner.

The petitioner also questioned State Government’s reply alleging that it is no less than any vote bank politics.  

Response submitted by the state government does not conform to SC instructions of the Supreme Court of India and the constitution, contested the petitioner.

With recent verdict of Kamal Nath government on OBC reservation, the total caste based reservation had increased to 63 per cent in Madhya Pradesh. In a similar matter, High Court in Chhattisgarh has already stayed the state government orders on OBC reservation.