Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution ratifying the amendment to the Constitution, which proposed to extend the reservation for the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes in Lok Sabha and Assemblies by another 10 years and ending reservation for the Anglo-Indians.
While Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneeselvam moved the resolution, DMK deputy leader Duraimurugan made a request for continuing the reservation for Ango-Indian community. At present, one member of the Anglo-Indian community is nominated to the Legislative Assembly though the member cannot vote in the House.
Mr. Panneerselvam said many political parties, including the BSP, the SP, the BJP, the DMK and the AIADMK had pressed for continuation of the nomination of Ango-Indians (in Parliament and some Assemblies) and met Law Minister Ravi Sankar Prasad and made a request for this. “He agreed to consider the request,”he said.
Nancy Ann Cynthia Francis, Anglo-Indian member, said the community was “heart-broken” as it had contributed to the development of Railways, Education, and Postal and Telegraph department.
Congress member Vijayadharini demanded reservation for the Anglo-Indians.
