Issues including death of a Dalit allegedly due to hunger in Bundelkhand, reservation for SC and ST in judicial service and early resolution of JNU issue in the backdrop of its students’ union office bearers on hunger strike figured in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Members sought the Government’s intervention in resolving the protests by JNU students by advising the university authorities to reconsider its decision to severely penalise some of them. The issue was raised by CPI member D Raja during Zero Hour and several members including Sharad Yadav (JD-U) backed his plea.
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien also said he thought the Government should try to solve the issue and asked Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to convey the feeling of the house to the concerned Ministers.
Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani, however, turned down the demand for waiving off rustication and other punishments meted out to students in universities, terming it a “Pandora’s Box.” She also said these institutions were granted autonomy to handle administrative matters.
Her reaction came during a debate on the functioning of her ministry when Congress member Ananda Bhaskar Rapolu said the students were looking at Irani’s “magnanimity” to waive off punishments and rustication of students in various universities.
Prabhat Jha(BJP) drew the attention of the House to the death of 40-year-old Kanhaiaya, a Dalit man in Bundelkhand earlier this week and alleged inaction by the state government in providing relief to him in time. BSP supremo Mayawati said Kanhaiya’s case was not an isolated incident. Food Minister Ramvilas Paswan said a team from his ministry will visit Bundekhand to gather all facts about the case.
Members of parties including Congress, CPI and BSP made a strong plea for reservation in judiciary by amending Constitution and sought an all-party meeting to discuss the issue, even as the Government insisted that there was currently no such proposal in this regard.
This issue came up during Question Hour and law Minister Sadananda V Gowda said the appointment of judges of Supreme Court and High Courts was made under Articles 124 and 217 of the Constitution which do not provide for any quota for any caste or class of persons. Responding to demands to call an all-party meeting consider the matter, the minister said the suggestion has been “well-taken” and the government will look into it.
Congress accused the Government of “abusing and insulting” the Constitution, on a day its top leadership took to streets to protest the “assaults on democracy.” Raising the issue, Deputy leader of Congress Anand Sharma said the top leadership of his party is protesting against the “assaults on democracy” by this government. His party colleagues then stormed into the well raising slogans forcing a brief adjournment during Zero Hour.