BSP, government get into war of words on quota bill

A war of words broke out on between Mayawati and govt as the bill for job promotion quota could not be passed in Lok Sabha during the Winter Session.

New Delhi: A war of words broke out on Thursday between BSP chief Mayawati and the government as the bill for job promotion quota for SCs and STs could not be passed in Lok Sabha during the Winter Session. Slamming UPA for not making adequate efforts to have the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill passed, Mayawati said she always doubted the Centre`s sincerity on the issue and virtually put the government on notice. "We will write to the Prime Minister for a special session. We will give them one or two more chances. We will raise the issue again in the Budget Session," said Mayawati, whose BSP with 36 members in both the Houses of Parliament had bailed out the government on the FDI issue. The Winter Session ended today.

BSP and arch-rival SP provide crucial outside support to UPA, which does not enjoy a majority in Rajya Sabha. "This is a bill not of BSP or Mayawatiji. This is the bill of Congress party. Let us be very clear on it. It is the bill of the government and the current government is the Congress government," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said. Mayawati said the government should have made efforts to have SP members suspended from the House after one of them snatched the bill from Minister for Personnel and Public Grievances V Narayanasamy. "The whole country has seen the drama by the government on the issue. We condemn the Centre and Congress for not getting the bill for reservation in promotion passed," she told reporters outside Parliament premises. Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, also rejected Mayawati`s allegation that Congress was not serious about the passage of the bill. PTI