New Delhi, Feb 4: Terming it a "regressive and repressive" step, the CPI on Monday sought withdrawal of government's reported decision to impose 60 per cent marks as criteria for Scheduled Caste and tribe students to qualify for post-Matric scholarships.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party national secretary D Raja said, "the regressive and repressive step of imposing restrictions on poor SC students' comes right at the time of expanding educational opportunities in the private sector and reducing opportunities in the government sector".

The scheme, Raja suggested, should have instead opened the doors of the private institutions to the SCs rather than imposing "dubious restrictions like these which are likely to bring the intentions of the government to disrepute and expose the lack of interest in the problems faced by them".

Demanding an immediate withdrawal of the order, he said a fresh direction should be issued in such a way which opens all the government and private institutions to the SCs solely on the basis of a merit-cum-means test, irrespective of the fee charged.

The CPI(M) has earlier objected to the reported move saying it was against the norms of social justice.

"The Finance Ministry and Planning Commission who are instrumental in pushing for this decision are trying to impose their flawed understanding to cut subsidies, in this instance at the cost of Dalit and tribal students," the CPI(M) Politburo said in a statement on Saturday.