Quota Bill introduced in Rajya Sabha, SP MPs walk out

The Samajwadi Party members walked out of Rajya Sabha to protest consideration of bill on quota in promotions, which was introduced by Union Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: The Samajwadi Party members on Thursday walked out of Rajya Sabha to protest consideration of bill on quota in promotions, which was introduced by Union Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy. The walkout came hours after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged parliamentarians to let the Rajya Sabha function. The PM had also reportedly met Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav earlier this morning to break the impasse over the bill seeking reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but failed to reach a compromise. Chaos returned to the Rajya Sabha today with the Samajwadi Party creating a ruckus over the quota bill and an angry deputy chairman PJ Kurien asking that its member be evicted. The SP leaders started raising slogans saying they didn`t want reservations in government job promotions, soon after the Upper House met following the lunch break. When the din showed no signs of abating, Kurien adjourned the house for 10 minutes. The unruly scenes continued when the House met with SP leaders gathering near the chair and continuing their loud slogans. An angry Kurien then told SP leaders Ram Gopal Yadav and Naresh Agrawal to evict Arvind Kumar Singh from the house. "Please withdraw him," Kurien said. "If you don`t, I will be forced to call the marshals," he added. When the party members continued their slogan shouting, Kurien announced that the House be adjourned for 10 minutes. On Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati launched a direct attack on Rajya Sabha chair Hamid Ansari, holding him responsible for delay in the passage of the bill for offering reservations in promotions. Certain of her comments in the house on Wednesday were later expunged.