PTI
NEW DELHI, March 14
WITH the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh saying there should be no reservation in jobs and education for the affluent, the government on Monday said there was no rethink on the present social and caste-based reservation policy and it would continue.
“It is the stated policy of the government that present arrangement of reservation will be maintained,” Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in response to SP and BSP members raising concern over remarks by some RSS leaders on Sunday.
The RSS, Mr. Jaitley said, “has also not talked” of scrapping or changing the present reservation policy.
Earlier, Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) alleged a conspiracy in doing away with the present reservation system.
Mayawati (BSP) said the Constitution had clearly defined the criteria for giving reservation to SC/ST and OBCs and now RSS functionaries were talking of the quota being based on economic criteria.
She was referring to RSS general secretary Suresh Joshi’s remark at the organisation’s camp at Nagaur in Rajasthan yesterday. Mr. Jaitley responded, saying “he has not said that.”
Soon after listed papers of the day were laid on the table, Opposition members led by SP, BSP and JD(U) were up on their feet raising the issue.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Chairman has disallowed a notice under rule 267 by Naresh Agarwal (SP) seeking suspension of business to take up the issue. When members persisted with the issue, he said the RSS is a private organisation. “Why are you worried about that.”
While Ram Gopal Yadav said there was no difference between the RSS and the government, Mayawati said statements on the quota issue had been made since the BJP came to power.
Responding to this, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was a clear view of the government that “reservation should continue” and the “RSS has not talked about scrapping it.”
“There is no question of removing reservation for SC/ST. The RSS has also called for strengthening of reservation, not ending it,” he said. Kurien said the government had given an assurance and the House should carry on with the listed business.
Opposition for extending Rajya Sabha session
OPPOSITION on Monday said it was ready for extending Rajya Sabha sitting by a day or two to help pass key legislations, but the government said it was in discussion with several parties and some were against extending the first half of the session.
A united opposition also stalled the government’s move to take up a key legislation — The Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016, through supplementary agenda, saying bringing bills like this was not proper and there will be no compromise on the debates on the Railway and General Budgets.
“There will be no reduction in Railway and General Budget discussion...This is for the first time that the opposition wants to pass bills and extend the session by two days, if government wants to get key legislations passed. But it is the government which is not forthcoming,” Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said after the government made an attempt to bring the Enemy Property bill.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhar Abbas Naqvi said “all parties are not agreeing (on extending the session) and government was talking to various parties. We are in discussion, we will come back on this.”
Soon after the House met after lunch, Naqvi urged the Chair to allow taking up the Enemy Property Bill as Home Minister Rajnath Singh was present in the House. The Bill has already been passed in Lok Sabha.
This was strongly objected to by opposition members, who wanted the Railway and General budgets to be taken up first and consider taking up the bills only thereafter.
Azad also alleged that the government does not intend to bring the Aadhar bill in the Upper House and allow it to become a legislation without discussion in this House. “We want a discussion on the Aadhar Bill even if it is for an hour, so that it is not passed without debate.”
As Naqvi said sought an hour’s time to get the Enemy property bill passed and asked opposition not to view this from “a communal angle”, objections were raised by Naresh Agarwal (SP), D Raja (CPI) and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC).
While Agarwal sought expunction of the word “communal” as stated by Naqvi, Roy asked how the government can bring a bill in this manner through a supplementary agenda.
Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said these were valid points raised by the members and the bill can be taken up only afterwards. “These are valid points raised. I agree with you,” he said, adding that if government wants and members are ready, it can extend the session.
