Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Tuesday demanded early passage of a constitutional amendment which promises continued SC, ST and OBC quota in government jobs and has been passed by Rajya Sabha but is pending in Lok Sabha.
The issue led to uproar in Rajya Sabha with Mayawati contending that several states have already implemented the Supreme Court order that had struck down reservations.
BSP MPs, led by their party chief, continued agitating on the issue despite Union law and justice minister Kapil Sibal’s assurance that the policy on reservation in government jobs is in force in the states and that the government has already moved a review petition. The BSP chief insisted on the Prime Minister’s intervention, who was also present in the House during the ruckus.
“The Supreme Court’s order on striking down the reservation has been discussed both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. But several states have already implemented the order. I demand the Prime Minister’s intervention,” she said, raising the issue during the Zero Hour.
Amid continued ruckus, vice chairman Prof P.J. Kurien adjourned the House for 10 minutes.
When the House reassembled, parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath said the government had introduced the Constitutional Amendment Bill to circumvent the court’s verdict realising the “seriousness” of the issue. “The Bill could not be passed in Lok Sabha as a “consensus could not be reached there,” he added.
S.C. Mishra (BSP) was not convinced with the minister’s reply and said had the intention of the government been clear, it would have been brought the Bill in Lok Sabha long back. “Congress is doing politics on the Bill,” he said.
However, Kamal Nath dismissed the allegations and stated that the Congress was not indulging in politics over the issue. “If Congress did not intend, it would not have brought it. It is our intention, our desire and our goal that the Bill be passed,” he said.