Jabalpur (MP), Nov 2 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Monday directed the state government to provide the petitioners a copy of its affidavit containing data of government staff belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice VK Shukla issued the direction while hearing a bunch of 27 petitions challenging MP government's decision to hike OBC reservation from 14 to 27 percent, said advocate Aditya Sanghi, who is representing students in two petitions.

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The state government had furnished the affidavit containing data of government officers and employees belonging to the OBC category during the previous hearing.

The petitioners have opposed the government argument that the state's OBC population was around 52 percent, due to which the hike in quota to 27 per cent was justified.

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"The overall reservation crosses 50 per cent mark if OBC reservation is increased from 14 per cent to 27 per cent," the counsel said, adding that various Supreme Court judgements have held that overall reservation should not cross the 50 per cent mark.

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