Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, expressed confidence over smooth passage of the Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017, which facilitates according constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC) in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Inaugurating the state-level seminar on according constitutional status to NCBC, organised by State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Saturday, Mr. Gehlot said that Minister for Parliamentary Affairs H.N. Ananth Kumar had formulated a strategy for the “smooth passage” of the Bill by negotiating with the opposition parties, including the Congress. The Congress had opposed the Bill in the Rajya Sabha in April.
The Lok Sabha passed the Bill in April and in the Rajya Sabha, the Bill was referred to the Select Committee. The Select Committee, according to Mr. Gehlot, has submitted its report and has not suggested any major change.
Once passed, the government will notify the Bill and rules be formed in the next months, facilitating a permanent body of NCBC, he said.
NDA’s vote strength is 55% in the Rajya Sabha and the government was doing its best to get the support of opposition parties to pass the Bill with two-third majority, said Mr. Ananth Kumar.
Accusing Congress of opposing the Bill for political reasons, he alleged that Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge, who supported the Bill in Lok Sabha, started opposing it after a meeting with other Congress leaders.
Condeming the silence of the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on the issue, he asked: “Why Mr. Siddaramaiah, who claims to be the champion of backward classes, failed to impress upon the Congress high command on the need of supporting the Bill, which will help the OBCs?”
Holding Congress responsible for referring the Bill to Select Committee, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council and party's backward classes leader K.S. Eshwarappa accused Mr. Siddaramaiah and the Congress for doing great injustice to backward classes for political reasons.
BJP’s state president B.S. Yeddyurappa cautioned the Congress of launching the movement across the state to expose what he described as “anti-backward classes” stand.
