Bhopal, May 20 (TIWN): Despite the Supreme Court allowing holding of local body polls along with OBC reservation in Madhya Pradesh, the issue has stoked a massive row after OBC Mahasabha, an organisation representing the OBC community, called for a ‘state bandh’ on May 21 to raise the demand for 27 per cent reservation to the community.

This protest came a day after the apex court permitted the state government to continue with the elections along with reservation for OBCs in local bodies in the state with a limit of total 50 per cent reservation in it.

The OBC Mahasabha expressed its displeasure with the SC order, saying that giving only 14 per cent reservation to the OBCs will be injustice to the community.

“The SC’s order said the OBCs will get just 14 per cent reservation, whereas the quota should be provided as per the population of OBCs in the state — which is 48 per cent. Therefore, we are going ahead with our call for bandh,” said State President, OBC Mahasabha, Rakesh Singh Lodhi.

Sources told IANS that the call for a bandh came after a meeting of state and national level office-bearers of the Mahasabha was held after the SC order was pronounced.

While the OBC organisation said both the BJP and Congress had deceived the OBC community on the issue of reservation, the call for the bandh was given against the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, sources said.