Mayawati blames NDA, UPA for delay in passing quota bill
BSP on Wednesday blamed both UPA and NDA for the delay in passing the bill providing for reservation to SCs and STs in promotions in government jobs.
"Though the Bill relating to SC/ST promotion was introduced, it has not been passed yet and for this both Congress and its allies and BJP and its allies are responsible," BSP chief Mayawati told reporters outside Parliament.
The Constitution Amendment Bill relating to reservation for promotion of SC/ST employees was introduced in Rajya Sabha amid din.
"I am happy that the Bill was introduced. But the way the House is being disrupted, it looks that it would not be possible to pass the Bill."
Criticising the BJP for not supporting the Bill, she said, "We strongly condemn the stand taken by the BJP. As far as coal block allocation is concerned, it is also an important matter. But the reservation for SC/ST employees is also equally important."
She said she had appealed the BJP to support the Bill. "Because this is an issue concerning the entire country," she said.
Taking on the UPA, she said, "Congress has vested political interest in delaying in bringing the Bill. It should have come in the last session. But they wanted to have their candidates win the President and Vice-President elections and for this they did not want to annoy any party."
Mayawati said there is no difference between Congress and BJP and their allies as far as their attitude towards the SC/ST promotion Bill is concerned. "Both parties (Congress and BJP) for their vested political interest did not push the Bill," she said.
"They delayed the Bill and they will pay for it in the next elections and SC/ST people will not tolerate this," she said.
Asked what was their political interest, she said, "Their (BJP's) calculation is that the House would not function and they would be able to form the government in 2014. They are dreaming of forming government in the next elections."
"Had they allowed voting, the Bill would have been passed toady. Even if they had allowed only two and half hours in the House for the Bill, it would have been passed. But they are not interested about SC/ST employees," she said.
For Congress, she said, their interest was to have their nominees in the post of President and Vice-President. "Congress and its allies are also equally responsible as they prolonged the issue for long otherwise it would have been passed in the last session," she said.
The BSP supremo said BJP and its allies and Congress and its allies kept their political interest above others and did not support the Bill. "The SC/ST promotion issue was secondary for them," she said.
When it was pointed out that BSP is supporting the UPA, she said, "We are not part of the government. We are supporting the UPA to weaken the communal forces in the country."
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