LUCKNOW, July 5 -- Uttar Pradesh minister and Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar has renewed his long-standing demand for sub-categorisation within the OBC and Scheduled Caste reservation ahead of the upcoming three-tier panchayat elections in the state. Rajbhar, who holds the panchayati raj portfolio, met chief minister Yogi Adityanath at his official residence here on Friday, accompanied by SBSP national spokesperson and general secretary Arun Rajbhar. The minister submitted a proposal seeking separate reservation sub-quotas for "backward," "extremely backward," and "most backward" castes within the existing OBC and SC quotas. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Rajbhar said he would soon call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for the implementation of this sub-categorisation through legislation. "Only a few dominant castes are reaping the benefits of reservation. Extremely backward and most backward communities remain excluded despite being eligible," he said, citing the recent police recruitment where over 19,000 posts under the OBC quota were reportedly taken by a handful of influential OBC castes. He emphasised that the state government had earlier formed a Social Justice Committee under Justice (retd) Raghvendra Kumar, which submitted a report recommending the division of the 27% OBC quota into three parts - 7% for backward castes (16 groups), 9% for extremely backward (32 groups), and 11% for the most backward castes (57 groups). Rajbhar said this model mirrors what states like Haryana have already implemented following the Supreme Court directions on sub-categorisation. "This is a matter of equity and justice. The Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly must pass a law to implement sub-quotas as recommended. Only then can we ensure fair representation in the upcoming panchayat polls," Rajbhar said. Tracing the history of the demand, he noted that the first social justice committee was formed in 2001 during Rajnath Singh's tenure as chief minister, under Hukum Singh's chairmanship. That report, too, proposed sub-categorisation, but it was never implemented. He blamed successive BSP and SP governments for ignoring the recommendation and allowing a few castes to monopolise the benefits of OBC reservations. With the BJP returning to power in 2017, a new committee was reconstituted in 2018 under Justice Raghvendra Kumar. Rajbhar said that despite CM Yogi Adityanath assuring the House that the report would be implemented, the proposal remains pending. He urged the government to act swiftly, implement the sub-quota system, and conduct the upcoming panchayat elections based on this model. "Only then will the most deprived and under-represented castes receive their fair share in the political process," he added. The demand comes amid growing political activity ahead of the crucial panchayat elections, and may influence both caste equations and alliances in the months to come....