Chennai, April 23 (PTI): The DMK, an important constituent of the ruling UPA at the Centre, today demanded immediate summoning of both Houses of Parliament to protect the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in elite educational institutions.

Barely a few hours after the Supreme Court declined to vacate the stay on the reservation act, DMK chief Karunanidhi shot off a letter to the Prime Minister.

"At this critical juncture, we are duty bound to extend a helping hand to the OBCs in order to lift them from a trying situation and they should not be let down.Therefore I kindly request to take urgent action to protect the reservation of 27 per cent for OBCs in the central education institutions extended to then by the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006," he said in the letter.

Since the Supreme Court had declined to vacate the stay, the only course open was to convene the two Houses of Parliament immediately to discuss and take appropriate and timely action so that there was no "reversal to the policy of reservation for OBCs in central educational institutions," he said in the letter.

Karunanidhi pointed out that the Tamil Nadu Assembly had passed a resolution on March 30 urging the Centre to convene both Houses of Parliament to protect the quota.

"We have already taken a stand that OBC reservation can be implemented since the Supreme Court had only expressed its desire to keep on hold on aforesaid reservation and had not passed a categorical order staying the reservation for OBCs."

He had sent identical letters to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh and Union Law minister H R Bhardwaj.