New Delhi: Lok Sabha today passed the bill to provide 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to general category candidates who belong to economically weaker sections. Most of the opposition parties backed the bill, but alleged the move to provide reservation to the economically weaker sections to be a political gimmick, in a four-and-half-hour debate. The bill, in a first, extends reservation to upper castes.
The bill will likely be presented in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, where the bill stands a fair chance. The Rajya Sabha session has been extended till Wednesday, while the winter session of the Lok Sabha has been adjourned till the next session.
The bill in the Lok Sabha was passed with 323 lawmakers voting for it and three voting against it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi were both present and voting.
Among the opposition parties, the Samajwadi party, Telangana Rashtriya Samithi, Trinamool Congress, the Left and the Congress said they would support the bill. Among others, Naveen Patnaik's Biju Janata Dal or BJD, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Upendra Kushwaha, who walked out of the NDA last month, supported the bill.
Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM and Tamil Nadu's AIADMK opposed the bill. The AIADMK walked out of the house ahead of the voting.
Here are the highlights on discussion on quota bill in Lok Sabha:
Jan 08, 2019 18:23 (IST)
TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay in Lok Sabha says: "Why does the government not take up the women reservation bill with the same priority as this quota bill? This bill is not only about jobs, but also about misleading the youth with false hopes and fake dreams."
Jan 08, 2019 18:08 (IST)
M Thambidurai, AIADMK leader, in Lok Sabha says: "Have government schemes for the poor failed? There are enough schemes. This reservation bill which you are bringing will be struck down by the Supreme Court."
Jan 08, 2019 18:05 (IST)
"The rule of 50% only applies for reservation of backward classes," says finance minister Arun Jaitley.
Jan 08, 2019 17:54 (IST)
As the Congress and the TMC's demand for sending the Bill again to a parliamewntary panel was rejected by the government, they staged a walkout.
Jan 08, 2019 17:54 (IST)
The NDA government'S bill to provide 10 per cent reservation in jobs and education to economically backward sections of the general category will be passed in the Rajya Sabha despite the ruling dispensation not having adequate numbers in the Upper House, Vishwas Pathak, Maharashtra BJP spokesperson, says.
Jan 08, 2019 17:48 (IST)
The move to give 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward among the general category is an attempt by the government to gain electoral benefit by combining caste passions with communal polarisation, the CPI(M) says.
Jan 08, 2019 17:46 (IST)
BJP chief Amit Shah says: "It (the reservation bill) will give great relief to people who have annual income less than Rs 8 lakh. Crores of young people will have benefits from this reservation in education & jobs. The reservation of 50% for SC, ST & OBCs remains unaffected due to this decision."