The government would try and convince the Samajwadi Party (SP) to come on board for the bill on reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in job promotions, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said on Monday.
The bill is the next possible acid test for the government with the SP opposed to it and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for it.
“The Reservation bill is on the first list in the Rajya Sabha. We will try to convince the SP,” Mr. Kamal Nath told media persons.
He said the bill was “current business” as it had been tabled in the upper house in the last session.
“It came in the last session in the Rajya Sabha. The debate was started so it’s current business, nothing new,” he said.
The SP is, however, determined to continue with its protest on the bill and not let it get passed.
“We will oppose it and ask the government to remove disputed issues from the list of business to let the house function,” SP leader Naresh Agarwal told reporters.
“This is dividing society. The general, the backwards, all other classes will be affected with this reservation. How can you benefit one by taking away rights of others,” he said.
The BJP has said it is in favour of reservation in general but not really made its stand clear.
“All classes of society, whether it is SC, backward classes, or minorities, should come in the mainstream,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
He added: “Let us see what the government bill is like, after that we will decide our stand.”
The Rajya Sabha has seen several adjournments this session over differences on the bill.
