SP, Sena join hands on quota in promotion

Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena on Thursday thwarted an attempt to take up for passage in the Rajya Sabha the contentious Bill providing for quota in promotion for SC and ST categories in government jobs.

The Constitution amendment Bill, which was introduced in the House on Wednesday amid commotion and scuffle between members of the SP and the BSP, could not be taken up even as Minister of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy rose to move it.

Members of SP and Shiv Sena trooped into the well shouting slogans against the proposed legislation, even as BJP members were already shouting slogans to press for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the coal block allocation issue.

The House saw uproar by members of SP, Shiv Sena and BJP when it met at 2 pm after two adjournments over coal issue as soon as the Chair asked to move the Bill as per the listed business.

P J Kurien, who was in the Chair, asked the protesting members to resume their seats so that the Bill could be considered. However, as the din continued, he adjourned the House for the day.

Earlier at noon also, SP members led by Naresh Agrawal shouted slogans that "reservation in promotion will not be allowed". Mohammed Adeeb, an Independent member with the support of both Congress and SP, too, joined the protest.

The Samajwadi Party, which supports the government from outside, and UPA ally DMK want extension of quota in promotion to OBCs too.

The government, meanwhile, made it clear that there was no such proposal under consideration at present.

In a written reply during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, MoS for Social Justice D Napoleon said "at present there is no proposal under consideration of the government to provide reservation in promotion to Other Backward Classes and backward minorities".

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