BJP president Amit Shah who had earlier told party's MPs to maintain their strength in the Rajya Sabha to avoid any embarrassment was present in the House when deputy chairman Harivansh called for a division
The NDA government went in a tizzy on Friday when the Rajya Sabha took up a private resolution seeking an amendment to the Constitution for equal treatment of SCs and STs across the country for a division.
The resolution moved by Vishambhar Prasad Nishad of Samajwadi Party sought amending the Constitution to ensure that persons belonging to SCs and STs in one state should be regarded the same across the country to avail the benefits of reservation.
It also highlighted that the people belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or De-notified Castes were being deprived of facilities and concessions and neglected because of the lack of a uniform reservation system in the entire country.
As the passage of the resolution would have put the government in an embarrassing position, BJP MPs — including Cabinet ministers Piyush Goyal and Suresh Prabhu — rushed back to the Rajya Sabha from the central hall to participate in the voting.
Interestingly, BJP president Amit Shah who had earlier told party's MPs to maintain their strength in the Rajya Sabha to avoid any embarrassment was present in the House when deputy chairman Harivansh called for a division.
Thanks to the last minute rush, the ruling NDA managed to defeat the Resolution by a comfortable margin of 66 to 32.
Before Harivansh put the resolution to vote, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Thawarchand Gehlot urged Nishad to withdraw the resolution.
"There is a process laid out by Parliament for inclusion and exclusion of caste in list of SCs, STs and OBCs," he said adding that as per the procedure, the proposal for inclusion or exclusion of a caste in the list of SC and ST is sent by the states.
After approval by the Registrar General of India and the SC or ST Commission, a bill is prepared which is put up before the Cabinet and subsequently before Parliament for approval, he explained.
Dissatisfied with minister's response, Nishad pressed for voting and later a division on the bill.
When the Deputy Chairman ordered for voting on the resolution, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tried to rescue the government saying the rules do not permit voting on a resolution and it was 'unprecedented'.
The deputy chairman negated his suggestion, saying "Once the process (of voting) is started, it cannot be stopped."
Soon after defeat of the resolution, the opposition members shouted slogans like 'Dalit virodhi log hai, hai (down with those opposing the downtrodden sections).
An agitated Prasad said "You people are Dalit Virodhi." The Opposition members then demanded that the remarks of the Minister be expunged.
The Resolution
The resolution sought amending the Constitution to ensure that persons belonging to SCs and STs in one state should be regarded the same across the country to avail the benefits of reservation
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 "Harivansh Narayan Singh")
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