Samajwadi Party MP snatches SC/ST Quota Bill from Narayanasamy

The face-off between the govt and the Samajwadi Party over the quota bill reached a flashpoint on Wednesday when a SP member snatched a copy of the bill from the hands of MoS V Narayanasamy and tore it to register his protest.

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: The face-off between the government and the Samajwadi Party over the quota in promotion bill reached a flashpoint on Wednesday when a SP member snatched a copy of the bill from the hands of MoS V Narayanasamy and tore it to register his protest. Complete pandemonium was witnessed in the Lok Sabha. As soon as Narayanasamy rose to put the bill up for consideration, Samajwadi Party MPs stormed into the well of house raising slogans against the bill. The SP members raised slogans like "promotion mein aarakshan, nahi chalega, nahi chalega (we do not want reservation in promotions)". Amid heated exchange of words between opposition and treasury benches, Samajwadi Party MP Yashveer Singh snatched the bill form the hands of Narayanasamy and tore it. Congress leaders including party president Sonia Gandhi were seen pacifying the agitated MPs, who are resolute to not allow the Lok Sabha to pass the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, which provides for quota in promotions for SCs and STs in government jobs. The Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha on Monday. However, owing to the continuous disruption of the house, Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day. Meanwhile, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said, "We will ask the Speaker to take the severest action."