To overcome lack of numbers in Rajya Sabha, Modi government accedes to demands from SP & BSP

NEW DELHI: The Modi government has recently acceded to two key demands from Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party. The National Democratic Alliance, which lacks a majority in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, is locked in a tough parliamentary battle with the Opposition over passage of key Bills, the land Bill being the latest and most high-profile.

The request from SP government in UP that the state director-general of police, Arvind Kumar Jain, be given a three-month extension was granted by the Centre.

BSP chief Mayawati has been extended the facility of Advance Security Liaison (ASL), a security protocol given to very few even among Zplus category protectees. ASL implies an advance team will sweep the area before the protectee’s visit.

The President, PM, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are SPG protectees who automatically get ASL. Among Z-plus protectees, who include many senior leaders, ministers and chief ministers, only Mayawati, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader LK Advani have ASL. Mayawati and a few other leaders were given ASL during the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign. Only Mayawati’s has been retained.

ET’s questions to the home ministry and the department of personnel & training, the two nodal authorities for these decisions, did not receive any response.

SP has 15 MPs in the Rajya Sabha and BSP has 10. NDA’s strength is 63. Congress alone has 68 members in the Upper House. NDA’s Rajya Sabha shortfall is 59. NDA could pass key legislation like the mining Bill in the first half of the Budget session when non-UPA, non-NDA parties such as SP and BSP did not vote with the Opposition.

Naresh Agarwal, a senior SP leader, told ET the Centre’s decision to grant a threemonth extension to the UP DGP was a “matter between two governments” and he also said “this should not be linked to parliamentary matters”. SP remains opposed to the land Bill, Agarwal said.

Agarwal himself had suggested recently that BJP should look at the UP government’s land law and include some provisions in the Centre’s Bill. When contacted, BSP leader Brajesh Pathak told ET, “I do not wish to comment on the matter”.

During UPA’s rule, the ministry of urban development had allowed Mayawati to join three adjacent bungalows in a VVIP area in New Delhi. At present, the BSP chief has four bungalows at Gurudwara Rakabganj and one at Tyagraj Marg.