Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini informed the state assembly that the cabinet’s decision on introducing sub-classifications within the Scheduled Castes (SCs) for reservation purposes officially took effect as of Wednesday.

Last month, the state cabinet had approved the Haryana Scheduled Castes Commission’s recommendations, which were in line with a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming that states have the constitutional power to create sub-categories within SCs for targeted reservations.

During the assembly session on Wednesday, Saini notified the House about the official enforcement of this decision, news agency PTI reported.

“The assembly session is going on. I thought it necessary to inform the House about the notification…our cabinet had already given approval. Now, the decision (after the notification) will become effective from today,” Saini stated.

Earlier this year, a Supreme Court's constitution bench ruled that sub-classification of Scheduled Castes is permissible for allocating separate quotas to the most marginalized communities on the SC list.

This development sparked debate in the assembly, with Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal questioning the government’s priorities. She argued that instead of focusing on classification, it would be more impactful to address issues like backlog in SC reservations, implementation of roster systems, and delays in scholarships and stipends.

What they have done is “divide and rule”, Bhukkal remarked, criticizing the move.

Minister Krishen Kumar Bedi challenged Bhukkal, urging her to obtain a statement from a national Congress leader if the party opposes the sub-classification policy. The exchange grew heated, prompting Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda to call for responsible dialogue.