New Delhi:
The government hopes to get passed in the Rajya Sabha today a bill to allow reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs. But with BJP leaders continuing to disrupt the House over the coal scam, the government may be up for some disappointment.
As soon as the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha met for the day today, Opposition leaders shouted slogans, forcing adjournments for an hour. When both Houses met again, the din continued and they were adjourned till 2pm again.
The BJP has not allowed Parliament to function for the last 11 days over the coal issue. And it says it will not stop noisy disruptions till the PM accepts responsibility for "coal-gate" scam and resigns. The party has made clear that while it supports the promotion quota bill, it will not allow the government to use it to divert attention from the coal scam.
Yesterday, as the government tabled the promotion quota bill in the Rajya Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Naresh Aggarwal and Bahujan Samaj Party's Avtar Singh came to blows. The two MPs were seen pushing each other and exchanging blows as Minister of State in the PM's Office V Narayanasamy quickly tabled the bill. While the SP is opposed to the promotion quota bill, the BSP is its prime mover.
Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal later said, "We do want to pass the Bill...we will try for the passage of the Bill again on Thursday. We are listing it again...The government is clear that there should be reservation in promotions upto 22.5 per cent for SCs and STs in government jobs".
The monsoon session ends tomorrow. However, the bill will stay "alive" for all time since it was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, which does not have an expiry date for bills, unlike the Lok Sabha.
(With PTI inputs)