Thaw in logjam as LS debates OBC bill, Oppn voices support
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a thaw in the logjam over the Pegasus snooping row as members cutting across party lines voiced support for a constitutional amendment bill to restore the states’ power to make their own backward classes lists. During the debate on The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, several Opposition parties demanded a removal of the 50% cap on reservations, while the government underlined its commitment to social justice.
NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha on Tuesday witnessed a thaw in the logjam over the Pegasus snooping row as members cutting across party lines voiced support for a constitutional amendment bill to restore the states’ power to make their own OBC lists.
During the debate on ‘The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021’, several Opposition parties, including the Congress, demanded a removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservations, while the government underlined its commitment to social justice.
For the first time since the Monsoon session of Parliament began on July 19, Lok Sabha witnessed a debate in an orderly manner as the Opposition put their protests demanding a debate over the Pegasus snooping allegations on hold for the bill. During the debate, many leaders such as BJP ally JD(U)’s Lalan Singh, Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, BSP’s Ritesh Pandey and DMK’s T R Baalu demanded a census be conducted throughout the country.
Moving the bill for consideration and passage, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar described ‘The Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021’ as a historic legislation as 671 castes in the country would benefit from it.
He said the bill will restore the states’ rights to prepare their own lists of OBCs so that various communities can be given social and economic justice.The minister said the bill should be considered as the 105th Constitution Amendment bill after being renumbered.
The 102nd Constitution Amendment Act of 2018 inserted articles 338B, which deals with the structure, duties and powers of the National Commission for Backward Classes, and 342A that deals with the powers of the president to notify a particular caste as an SEBC and the power of Parliament to change the list. Article 366 (26C) defines SEBCs.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking a review of its May 5 majority verdict that held that the 102nd Constitution amendment took away the states’ power to notify SEBCs for the grant of quota in jobs and admissions.
“If this Constitution bill is not brought, 671 OBCs would not get reservation. All of them will be benefited now,” Kumar said.
Initiating the debate, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury extended his party’s wholehearted support to the bill but criticised the government for the 2018 amendment, saying had the government inserted the suggestion proposed by the Opposition, today’s situation would not have arisen.
“You tweaked the Constitution by bringing the 102 Constitution Amendment Bill in 2018 which gave people opportunity to go to the court and finally the Supreme Court removed the states’ power,” he said. Chowdhury also slammed the government for allegedly running away from debate on the issue of “snooping” through the Pegasus spyware, saying the country after country like Hungary, the US and Israel have ordered probe into the issue.