India, Dec. 7 -- Former Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has said he has been "widely criticised" by people from his own community for his judgement that the "creamy layer" principle be applied to reservation for the Scheduled Castes too. Creamy layer refers to people who are above a certain income bracket - Rs.8 lakh per annum for Other Backward Classes - and thus excluded from quota benefits.

Gavai said he was accused of "taking benefits of reservation himself to become a Supreme Court judge" yet advocating the exclusion of those who have advanced economically while being members of the backward community. "But these people did not even know that there is no reservation for the constitutional office of High Court or Supreme Court judge,...