The Constitution Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House yesterday amid commotion and a scuffle between members of SP and BSP in the House, could not be taken up even as Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy rose to move it for consideration and passage.

Members of SP and Shiv Sena trooped into the Well shouting slogans against the proposed legislation. Their protest was coupled with that of BJP members who were shouting slogans to press for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over coal block allocation issue.

Even after 2 PM, after two adjournments over coal issue, uproar disturbed the proceedings as soon as the Chair asked to move the Bill as per the listed business.

P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, asked the protesting members to resume their seats so that the Bill could be considered. However, as the din continued, he adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier at noon also, SP members shouted slogans "reservation in promotion will not be allowed" even as BJP members were demanding the Prime Minister's resignation. Six of the SP members led by Naresh Agrawal were in the Well too.

Md Adeeb, an Independent member of the Upper House also joined the protest in the Well.

The Bill seeks to circumvent a Supreme Court order quashing such a decision of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan governments.

Extend Parliament session to pass bill for quota in promotion: Mayawati

With the Rajya Sabha failing to take up the contentious bill providing for quota in promotion for SCs and STs, BSP today demanded extending the ongoing session of Parliament and asked the Centre to find a "middle path" in coal block issue to end disruptions caused by BJP.

"If the central government really wants the bill to be passed, it should ensure smooth functioning of the House. It should find a middle path on the coal issue to end the disruptions caused by BJP and its allies as coal scam too is no less important," BSP chief Mayawati said in a statement.

She also demanded extending the ongoing Monsoon Session by 10 to 12 days so that the bill could be passed. Tomorrow is the last day of the session.

Accusing the Centre of playing a "double game", she said while the bill has been introduced, it is not being passed to keep those against it in good humour.

Mayawati, whose party has been demanding reservation in promotion, also referred to the opposition by the SP.

"The Centre should find a way for peaceful conduct of business in the Rajya Sabha by controlling people who are opposed to the measure," she said.

The Constitution Amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House yesterday amid commotion and scuffle between members of SP and BSP in the House, could not be taken up for passage even as Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy rose to move it.

Members of SP and Shiv Sena trooped into the Well shouting slogans against the proposed legislation.

No proposal to include OBCs for quota in promotion: Govt

Despite UPA constituent DMK and outside supporter Samajwadi Party seeking extension of quota in promotion to OBCs, Government today said in Rajya Sabha that there is no such proposal under consideration at present.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Social Justice D Napoleon said that "at present there is no proposal under consideration of the government to provide reservation in promotion to Other Backward Classes and backward minorities".

Arvind Singh from Samajwadi Party, which is opposing the constitutional amendment bill to bring in quota in promotion for SCs/STs, wanted to know the details of the legislation.

He also wanted to know whether it would also provide for the same for OBCs and backward minorities also on ground of their backwardness.

In reply to the first question, Napoleon said that the government has introduced a bill in the Rajya Sabha on September 5 to amend the Article 16 (4A) of the Constitution in order to provide impediment free reservation to the Scs/ST in the matter of promotion.

The minister's reply in the Upper House came on a day when the government made another attempt to take up the Constitution amendment bill for consideration and passing but it was thwarted by members from the Samajwadi Party and NDA constituent Shiv Sena.

Members from BSP and SP had earlier clashed in the Upper House on the issue yesterday, when the bill was introduced.

DMK, a key ally UPA ally, on Wednesday backed Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on the issue of reservations in promotions for the OBCs.

DMK chief M Karunanidhi said in a statement that his party was in full agreement with Yadav's plea for including OBCs along with SCs and STs categories for reservations in promotions for central government jobs.

DMK MP Vasanthi Stanley told reporters outside Parliament today, "We are in favour of reservation for SCs/STs but wanted the inclusion of OBCS".

Sena to oppose reservation on caste or religious lines

NDA constituent Shiv Sena, which opposed the bill for quota in promotion for SCs/STs in government jobs in Rajya Sabha today, said it will continue to oppose reservation of any kind on caste or religious lines.

"Shiv Sena has been holding this stand for long. It is not a political stand for vote bank politics, it is a stand for social justice. We hold that no one should get reservation on the basis of religion or caste," Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut told reporters here.

"The current bill providing for reservation in promotions is totally against social justice. It is against merit. It will kill merit in the country and will lead to anarchy. We have opposed it and will continue to oppose it," he said.

Dismissing the comments made by Congress leader Digvijay Singh that Thackeray family hailed from Bihar and migrated to Mumbai, Raut asked the Congress leadership to give "research work" to Singh.

"We would suggest to Congress leaders that Digvijay Singh who has no work should be entrusted with research work instead and be given a librarian-like post in a library. Congress has lost wherever he has campaigned and he is idle these days.

Digvijay Singh has always spoken a lie and this is another of his lies about the Thackeray family," Raut alleged.