Exclusion of creamy layer from the OBC quota ambit, as ruled by the Supreme Court on Thursday, came up for a brief mention at the Cabinet meeting on Friday but Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the Government had to go through the judgment first before deciding on the future course of action.

UPA constituents like the PMK, which raised the issue in the Cabinet, the DMK, the RJD and the LJP, among others, are set to discuss it at the UPA Coordination Committee meeting scheduled to be held early next week. These parties are upset over the exclusion of creamy layer and would like the Government to go for a review petition.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav had earlier called on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to request her to convene a meeting of the coordination committee on the issue of price rise. The UPA leadership is now working out the meeting schedule — tentatively on April 14 or 15 — depending on the availability of UPA leaders, according to sources.

As discussion on all agenda items got over at the Friday meeting, Union Health Minister and PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss sought to draw the Cabinet’s attention to the SC ruling, according to sources. Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav interjected: “Yeh (creamy layer) to humhi logon ko define karna hai na (we will be the ones to define the creamy layer).”

Then the PM intervened and said the Government would decide the future course after going through the judgment, said sources present at the meeting, adding HRD Minister Arjun Singh kept quiet at the meeting.

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