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UPA split as SP, DMK oppose SC/ST Quota Bill
Undeterred by unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the government would try to bring the Bill providing quota in promotions to SC/ST in government jobs on Thursday in Parliament but its immediate passage looks unlikely with the opposition emerging from within the UPA.
The Samajwadi Party has openly opposed the measure and it has been now joined by UPA constituent DMK, which too has demanded quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in the Bill.
On the rival side also, divisions came to surface with JD(U) supporting the Bill and Shiv Sena strongly opposing it.
The BJP, whose support the BSP sought for quick passage, has said it stands for social justice "subject to the limitation of Constitutional permissibility".
The party said it has conveyed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman that it was willing for a debate but before that the government should take effective steps to resolve the Parliamentary stalemate by cancelling the coal block allocations and ordering an independent inquiry.
The talk in political circles is that major parties like Congress and BJP are also said to be facing some sort of resistance from sections within and a parallel is being drawn to the Women's Reservation Bill, which is still in a limbo.
Mayawati, who is strongly pitching for the measure, attacked both the NDA and the UPA for delay in passage saying they were keen on their political gains and not bothered about the SCs/STs.
Mulayam, who is opposing the Bill, also said that the UPA government did not consult his party on the issue. "Juniors will become seniors. Is it some kind of a joke? Running the government has become a joke," he said.
The indication that the Bill will be delayed was given by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held consultations with him and Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday. "There is no time now," Shinde said.
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed a scuffle between the two MPs over the issue just after Minister of State for Social Welfare V Narayansamy introduced the Bill. Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Aggarwal and Bahujan Samaj Party MP Avtar Singh Karampuri came to blows. They pushed each other while fighting over the SC/ST quota bill.
Undeterred by unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, the government would try to bring the Bill providing quota in promotions to SC/ST in government jobs on Thursday in Parliament but its immediate passage looks unlikely with the opposition emerging from within the UPA.
The Samajwadi Party has openly opposed the measure and it has been now joined by UPA constituent DMK, which too has demanded quota for other backward classes (OBCs) in the Bill.
On the rival side also, divisions came to surface with JD(U) supporting the Bill and Shiv Sena strongly opposing it.
The BJP, whose support the BSP sought for quick passage, has said it stands for social justice "subject to the limitation of Constitutional permissibility".
The party said it has conveyed to the Rajya Sabha Chairman that it was willing for a debate but before that the government should take effective steps to resolve the Parliamentary stalemate by cancelling the coal block allocations and ordering an independent inquiry.
The talk in political circles is that major parties like Congress and BJP are also said to be facing some sort of resistance from sections within and a parallel is being drawn to the Women's Reservation Bill, which is still in a limbo.
Mayawati, who is strongly pitching for the measure, attacked both the NDA and the UPA for delay in passage saying they were keen on their political gains and not bothered about the SCs/STs.
Mulayam, who is opposing the Bill, also said that the UPA government did not consult his party on the issue. "Juniors will become seniors. Is it some kind of a joke? Running the government has become a joke," he said.
The indication that the Bill will be delayed was given by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held consultations with him and Defence Minister AK Antony on Wednesday. "There is no time now," Shinde said.
The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed a scuffle between the two MPs over the issue just after Minister of State for Social Welfare V Narayansamy introduced the Bill. Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Aggarwal and Bahujan Samaj Party MP Avtar Singh Karampuri came to blows. They pushed each other while fighting over the SC/ST quota bill.
