10% Quota Bill For Upper Caste Poor Tabled In Rajya Sabha

New Delhi: Social Justice Minister Thanwar Chand Gehlot tabled the bill to provide 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to general category candidates, who belong to economically weaker sections, in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday amid ruckus over extension of the Winter Session of Parliament by a day.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha with 323 ‘Ayes’ and 3 ‘Noes’ on Tuesday. Many opposition parties dubbed the bill, which extends reservation to upper caste poor, as a “political gimmick” during the four-and-half-hour debate.

While Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM opposed the bill, the ruling AIADMK walked out of the House ahead of the voting.

The bill stands a fair chance in Rajya Sabha too.

On the other hand, the opposition has slammed the government over the extension of the Winter Session of Parliament. “The way the House proceedings were extended without the consent of the opposition parties was not right. The situation now is such that there is no dialouge between Opposition and the government. The government is foremost responsible if the House doesn’t function,” Congress’ Anand Sharma said in Rajya Sabha.

Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Vijay Goel had defended it saying there were important Bills left to be passed by the House.