The PMK on Saturday modified its demand from ‘separate 20% reservation for Vanniyars’ to ‘internal reservations for Vanniyars’ within the MBC quota in jobs and education.
The party leadership issued an ultimatum to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to accept the demand and take steps before the beginning of the Assembly session this year failing which the party would take a ‘political decision’.
At the end of its governing council meeting held virtually, the PMK issued a statement claiming that senior Ministers would be visiting PMK founder Ramadoss’ residence to discuss the issue on Monday.
“We started the protests to correct injustice against Vanniyars and demand separate 20% reservations. Though the reservation for MBCs was won by the Vanniyar Sangam, we believe that other castes in the MBCs should also be given representation in MBCs. Therefore, we have decided to modify our demand and seek ‘internal quota’ which will give substantial representation for the Vanniyars within MBC quota,” the statement said.
Critical of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s role in 1989, the party’s council unanimously passed a resolution urging the AIADMK government to immediately agree to the demand of internal reservation. Otherwise, the party would be forced to call for a meeting of its executive council and take a ‘political decision.'
On Friday, PMK president G.K. Mani met Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and held talks. As a sequel to that, a team of senior Ministers would hold talks with Dr. S. Ramadoss at Thailapuram on Monday, the statement said.
