A bill seeking reservation for Gurjjars and three other communities in Rajasthan, was tabled in the Assembly on Monday. Law Minister G S Tiwari introduced the Bill amidst protests by the Opposition against an ordinance on university teachers’ regularisation. The Congress charged the ruling BJP Government with moving the ordinance without divulging the objections and suggestions made by the Governor on the original Bill, while Speaker Sumitra Singh took a voice vote of the BJP legislators for introduction of the quota Bill in the House.

However, Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee president C P Joshi said the party will support the SC/ST/OBC special backward class and poor among economically backward classes Reservation Bill 2008, when it comes up for discussion on Tuesday. “We support the Bill in principle as this was what the previous Congress-led Government had suggested during Ashok Gehlot’s tenure as chief minister,” Joshi said.

However, Joshi said the Bill would only serve the BJP’s purposes in the Assembly elections. “The Bill seeks reservations in government jobs and education, but all the admissions are done and no government posts now need to be filled. The BJP only seeks to win votes,” Joshi said.