The Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) moved the Supreme Court seeking to implead itself in a case wherein the statute providing 27 per cent reservation to the OBCs in higher educational institutions has been challenged.

The intervention application, filed on behalf of RJD’s Secretary and MP Ram Deo Bhandari, defended the Centre’s quota policy and submitted that fixing of 27 per cent quota for the OBC was constitutionally valid. The application was filed through counsel B B Singh, who sought a direction to be made a party in the case, which is scheduled to come up for hearing on May 8.

Relying on the Constitution’s 93rd amendment to Article 15(5) on January 20, 2006, the RJD headed by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav maintained that the state was fully empowered to make any special provision for the advancement of the socially and educationally backward citizens, like the SCs, STs, BCs and the OBCs, including private educational institutions.

Further the RJD submitted that the constitutional validity of the Government’s reservation policy was upheld by the Constitution bench in the Indra Sawhney’s case.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the Tamil Nadu Government, which is also supporting the Government’s quota policy, moved a similar application through counsel V G Pragasam seeking to be heard in the matter.