General category reservation: Congress backs move, puts onus on govt to walk the talk
Members of opposition parties said the govt proposal appeared to be aimed at checking the desertion of the BJP’s upper caste supporters who were angry over the ordinance promulgated by the govt to nullify the SC order.
By ET Bureau | Updated:
BCCL
Congress' Randeep Surjewala said: “Without interfering with the constitutional mandate of reservation given to Dalits, adivasis and backward classes in any manner, we, the Congress Party, have always supported that those who are genuinely poor, but are not covered among these sections may also be given benefit of opportunities and reservation, both in education and employment.”
The Congress reacted to the proposed reservation for the general category by saying that it has always supported every measure for reservation in jobs for the economically backward sections provided the provisions don’t dilute the job quotas for Dalits, tribals and other backward classes (OBCs).
However, it said the timing of the move, barely 100 days ahead of the general elections, showed the government’s “desperation” and “lack of honesty”, and demanded to know the government’s roadmap for creating the promised jobs.
The party plans to put the onus on the government to walk the talk and get the required Constitution Amendment Bill passed, along with ensuring that the proposal does not fall prey to legal pitfalls, said people aware of the matter. It is for the government to ensure that the bill is passed in both the Houses, with the Rajya Sabha scheduled to work till Wednesday and the Lok Sabha, as of now, till Tuesday, they said. A Constitution Amendment Bill requires the backing of two-thirds of the members — of a minimum of half the members of both Houses present — to be passed. It is not clear which way the Samajwadi Party, which is protesting the CBI probe against its president Akhilesh Yadav, and the Dravidian parties will swing when the government introduces the bill on Tuesday, said a person.
At a party presser, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said: “Without interfering with the constitutional mandate of reservation given to Dalits, adivasis and backward classes in any manner, we, the Congress Party, have always supported that those who are genuinely poor, but are not covered among these sections may also be given benefit of opportunities and reservation, both in education and employment.” Members of opposition parties said the government proposal appeared to be aimed at checking the desertion of the BJP’s upper caste supporters who were angry over the ordinance promulgated by the government to nullify the SC order which was seen as diluting certain provisions of the SC-ST Act. “It (the proposal) is not meant for expanding the BJP’s electoral reach but only for trying and clinging on to its deserting base,” said an MP of an opposition party, who did not wish to be identified.
