The issue of reservation played out in the lok Sabha on Wednesday with several regional parties chastising the Government for not bringing in a constitutional amendment to annul a Supreme Court order against reservation for faculty in the super specialty section in All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
They demanded that the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) take back an order related to the issue. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, along with others questioned the Government’s “failure” to bring in a constitutional amendment Bill to neutralise apex court’s verdict on quota.
In the same breath though, he said “caste destroyed India” and that there was no safety provided to those breaking caste barriers and engaging in inter-caste marriages.
Some of the members also raised the issue of Women Reservation Bill saying Government was not sincere towards passing it. Raising the issue of women reservation issue, Independent MP Jaya Prada said, “Some parties don’t want to bring it. If Telangana Bill can be passed why not women reservation BillIJ” she asked.
Speaking for the Government on the twin issues, Union Parliamentary Minister Kamal Nath said, “I agree, if consensus is there, I will extend the Session and pass the legislations.”
Union law Minister Kapil Sibal said reservation in the faculty in super specialty section of AIIMS will continue. The Minister said a review petition was filed in Supreme Court following which a constitutional bench looked into the matter. “It (reservation) was always also and will also be so,” Sibal said.
JD(U), SP and BSP members, however, said the Supreme Court has put the ball in the court of the Government asking it to take its own call on the issue.
The apex court had last month asked the Centre to decide quota in appointment for faculty posts in specialty and super specialty posts in medical colleges, including the AIIMS. The pandemonium over the issue led to an hour-long adjournment of the House. When it reassembled Gopinath Munde (BJP) denied Yadav’s charge that his party was not supportive of the reservations and as also quota for the backwards. Pl Punia (Congress) also sought a reply from the Government on AIIMS faculty issue and the status of reservation in promotion Bill passed by the Rajya Sabha which has been pending for long in the lower House.
SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav also spoke about need to bring in a constitutional amendment instead of moving Supreme Court for a review. Shailendra Kumar (SP) and Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) wanted a response from the Government on a resolution passed by UP Assembly to include 17 castes in the SC list.