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Mulayam’s Samajwadi Party led the opposition to the Bill when it was introduced in Rajya Sabha on September 5, with SP MP Naresh Agrawal scuffling physically with the BSP’s Avtar Singh Karimpuri. Mulayam has described the Bill as “unconstitutional”, and vowed continued opposition to it.
Referring the Constitutional (117th Amendment) Bill to a parliamentary standing committee provides the UPA with a window — through a recommendation by the House panel — to include Other Backward Classes (OBCs) among the beneficiaries of the quota in promotions. OBCs are the SP’s core constituency.
“File has been sent to Rajya Sabha chairman for his approval for a reference to the standing committee,” a Rajya Sabha secretariat official told The Indian Express. “It has not yet come back,” he said.
The official said the proposal was initiated after talks between Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy who introduced the Bill. The discussions followed Mulayam’s announcement that the SP’s 22 Lok Sabha MPs would support the government after Mamata Banerjee walked out of the UPA on September 21, the official said.
The Congress’s current attitude contrasts sharply with the line taken by the government earlier, when Minister of State for Social Justice D Napoleon told Rajya Sabha there was “no proposal... to provide reservation in promotion to Other Backward Classes and backward minorities”.
The party had issued a whip asking its members in Rajya Sabha to be present and vote for the amendment on September 6. “We do want to pass the Bill. We also issued a whip to our members. We will try for the passage of the Bill again tomorrow. We are listing it again,” Bansal had said on September 5.
The government’s hurry to push the Bill through in the monsoon session was demonstrated when the Department of Personnel & Training prepared a note on September 3 for the cabinet meeting scheduled for the next day, and the Bill was introduced the day after.
The government is not obliged to refer the Bill to a standing committee. An exemption could have been sought under Rule 69 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States. Besides, the issue had been debated in the last session, and the Bill was introduced only after an all-party meeting chaired by the Prime Minister.
A Rajya Sabha secretariat official said the standing committees are yet to be notified. Lists have been prepared, but they won’t be notified until the cabinet is reshuffled. This is to ensure that no committee chairperson ends up becoming a minister, and another chairperson has to be then appointed, he said.
How long Manuwadi Manhoos will be able to divide BC/OBCs in India..The upper castes Hindu have always kept their hold on the power of the office from Sachibaloy to the Viswavidyaloy and to the Nayaloy only with one aim to deny power to the majority amongst Hindus , the BC/OBC. It was Manu the great Sage who advocated denial of basic education to the lower castes so that his upper castes successors can eat the cake and have it too. The foreign invaders including Aryans took that lesson very seriously and followed it religiously.The religious institutions and those so called institutions of excellence are held hostaged by the upper castes (foreign invaders direct decendent included). Present day's Chanakyas are no better. they want BC/OBCs to get divided into thousand parts.It is time for Mulayam to meet Maya, Lalu to meet Karuna, Paswan to meet Punia.BC/OBC must mega merge and snatch the power. Then legislate any policy to suit their needs. Throw this govt right now.
Mr.Mulayam shab is go to correct way i/we also support his decision.Itis obcs provide quota is right time.
Give and take has always been a good policy.
Both Congress and SP (the so called secular parties) are exposed. To enjoy power, they do everything. The fact is both of them are corrupt and pseudo secular
It is a pity the way our constitution is written.It needs amendments only while the originator of such writer is held in such a high esteem!
