Oppn disrupts RS over delay in filling vacancies in SC/ST panels
NEWDELHI: Protesting the ‘delay’ in filling up of vacancies in statutory commissions for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and Minorities, Congress-led opposition disrupted the Rajya Sabha for the second day on Tuesday.
Congress, SP, BSP and JD-U members repeatedly trooped into the well of the house raising slogans against the government for “misleading” people on the issue.
Countering their allegations, information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu said all the commissions were functioning and the process of filling up the vacancies was on. He said the opposition was leading a disinformation campaign and was oblivious of the huge mandate the BJP got in Uttar Pradesh, the state with substantial backward class population.
Social justice and empowerment minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, who spoke amid the din, said the delay in appointments to the statutory commissions was due to the model code enforced because of elections in the five states recently. He said the process of filling up the vacancies has started and the chairmen for the SC commission and the Safai Karamchari Ayog have been appointed. The post of SC commission chairman fell vacant on October 31 last year, he said.
Kurien first adjourned the proceedings for 10 minutes and subsequently till noon as the opposition members were unrelenting. When the House assembled for Question Hour at noon, chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the proceedings for 30 minutes as the noisy scenes continued.
When the House assembled again, opposition members were up on their feet stating that multiple notices have been given under rule 267 seeking suspension of business to take up the issue.