The Government on Friday said it was committed to upholding Constitutional provision for reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs after the Opposition parties led by the Samajwadi Party (SP) raised a din in the Rajya Sabha on Friday alleging that the Centre was conspiring to deny benefits of reservation to the members of Other Backward Castes (OBC).
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Ramgopal Yadav (SP) charged the Government with “conspiracy” and “cheating” the OBCs by proposing Constitutional status to a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and doing away with OBC Commission formed after a Supreme Court ruling in 1992.
He also said the move to replace the existing Commi-
ssion was a “conspiracy” to finish reservation for Backward Castes and some of them including Yadavs, Kushwahas and Gujjars will be hit. He warned that the Rajya Sabha will not allow the proposed legislation to be passed. While Yadav’s party colleagues shouted slogans and rushed to the well, Congress MPs came to the aisles. Members from JD-U and BSP backed the contention. The Treasury Benches countered the allegations.
The SP leader said the OBC Commission is to be replaced by a National Commission for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes and claimed it was part of a larger “conspiracy” to do away with reservations. The new commission will examine and recommend requests for inclusion and exclusion in the list of Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The Union Cabinet on Thursday had approved the setting up of this commission.
Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot said Prime Minister Narenda Modi has repeatedly said that the Constitutional position of reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs will continue.
“Since the time of Jan Sangh, we have been a supporter of reservation to these communities and will continue to be a supporter,” he said. He also said the Government has taken a decision to give Constitutional status to the commission for OBCs and it will get the same rights as Commission for SC and STs.
The agitated members, however, were not satisfied and continued to raise a din even as Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the Minister has given “a very clear reply” and so there was no reason for the protests. As the protests continued, the chair was then forced to adjourn the House for 10 minutes.