Lucknow: In a major setback for the Yogi Adityanath-led government in Uttar Pradesh, the Centre has declared as ‘unconstitutional’ the decision to issue Scheduled Caste certificates to 17 Most Backward Caste (MBC)s.

Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, assured the Rajya Sabha that he would request the UP government to take back its decision since has been declared invalid by a court of law.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s Rajya Sabha MP Satish Chandra Mishra raised the issue in the House, saying that issuance of SC certificates to the 17 MBCs was bypassing the Constitution. He added that under Section 341 of the Constitution, no one can modify or change the list of Scheduled Castes without presidential notification.

Earlier, BSP chief Mayawati had also attacked the state government over the issue. “It’s a fraud with people belonging to these 17 castes as they won't receive the benefits of any of the categories. The UP government will not treat them as OBCs. They won't receive the benefits of belonging to SC as no state government can put them in or remove them from any of the categories through its orders,” Mayawati had said.

The UP government had decided to implement a 2017 order of the Allahabad High Court to issue SC certificates to the 17 MBCs in the state. The government had directed district magistrates to issue SC certificates to MBCs till the high court takes a final call on the issue.

The demand for SC status to the 17 castes: Kashyap, Rajbhar, Dhivar, Bind, Kumar, Kahar, Kewat, Nishad, Bhar, Mallah, Prajapati, Dhivar, Batham, Turha, Godia, Manjul and Madhua, has been pending for a long time.

The Samajwadi Party government, under Mulayam Singh Yadav, had first tried to implement the order in 2006, which was followed by Mayawati making the same effort during her regime from 2007-2012. However, the idea was vetoed by the Centre.