Opposition stages walkout in Rajya Sabha over reservation despite govt clarification

Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 10

The Union government on Monday clarified in the Rajya Sabha that it would take appropriate steps with regard to Supreme Court’s judgement which said quota in jobs and promotion was not part of fundamental rights, but the Opposition termed it an “inadequate” and “vague” response and staged a walkout in protest.

Union Social Justice Minister Thawarchand Gehlot, who is also Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha, said: “Our government is dedicated and committed for the welfare of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes.”

“It is appropriate to mention here that there was Congress government in Uttarakhand in 2012,” Gehlot said, while underlining that the court’s judgement relates to a decision of the then Congress government in Uttarakhand.

“This is to clarify that neither Government of India was made a party in this matter nor any affidavit was sought from the Government of India,” Gehlot said, adding that the related matter had arisen out of a decision taken by Uttarakhand Government on September 5, 2012, in which it had decided not to provide reservations in promotions for SCs and STs.

Leader of the Opposition and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Azad said the matter was serious but the government has come out with a nominal and abstract kind of response.

The reservation to the SCs and STs were affirmative measures devised by founding fathers of the Constitution for these sections who have suffered thousands of years of discriminations and social injustice, he said.

He urged the Union government to make immediate intervention by way of filing a review petition, or convene an urgent meeting of Cabinet to decide introducing a Bill in Parliament to negate the court’s verdict.

Like other Opposition members, he demanded immediate commitment for action on the floor the House by the government.

With Gehlot standing by his limited response in the matter, the entire Opposition staged a walkout.

Earlier, Union Minister of State for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale and the Minister for Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan affirmed government’s commitment to reservation.

Bhupender Yadav of the BJP condemned the walkout by the Opposition, saying it was not in keeping with the best traditions of parliamentary democracy when such a serious issue was involved. 

“They have walked out in spite of union ministers reiterating Union government’s commitment to the issue,” Yadav said.