LS passes the bill citing 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections of upper castes

NewsBharati    08-Jan-2019
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New Delhi, January 8: “If communists oppose the bill which is in the favour of the poor, it would be the first example of its kind. Just as equals cannot be treated unequally, unequals cannot be treated equally”, asserted the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the lower house today over debate citing the bill of 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections of upper castes. The house in the late evening cleared the bill with majority ayes being 323 out of 326 total. 
 
Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment tabled the bill for 10 percent reservation for economically weaker sections of upper castes in Lok Sabha earlier today. “This quota Bill will benefit the poor, it will ensure Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas in the nation”, said the Minister while introducing the bill.
 
“Everyone who is out of the SC/ST aegis, including people from other community, will benefit from this Bill. Justice for everyone will be attained through this Bill as as major chunk of society will benefit from this Bill”, he added further.
 
The BJP president Amit Shah expressed gratitude to the PM for the bill and said, “It will give great relief to people who have annual income less than Rs. 8 lakhs. Crores of young people will have benefits from this reservation in education & jobs. However, the reservation of 50% for SC, ST & OBCs remains unaffected due to this decision.”
 
Meanwhile, the opposition party demanding a JPC first said, “Many of the national newspapers have said that the reservation for upper caste will end up as a national affair before the national elections. It should not become a chaos. We support the quota bill. We are not against this, but the way it is being brought raises questions on your sincerity.”
 
Stressing over the credibility of the bill and the benefits it will be raising, Arun Jaitley said, “There were a lot of governments who attempted to do this but got entangled in legal webs. For amendments in Part 3 of the constitution it does not need ratification from states. When Article 15(5) was amended, the phraseology was same for caste based reservation; this phraseology is also the same. The affirmative action given by Constitution is for those who are unequals to be brought on equal footing, that was the intention of reservations”
 
“After Indira Sawhney verdict it was stated that social and educationally backwardness is determinant of the caste but there was no provision for economically weaker section in the constitution. Hence, it always failed the legal test. The 50% cap by the court is only for Article 16 (4) stating caste based reservations." he added.
 
“I think the perception that 10 percent is more than the 50 percent capped by the Supreme Court and therefore the Bill will not stand legal scrutiny is wrong. If you are supporting this Bill, don't support it grudgingly, be wholehearted. This is the first time in the world that something is being given to the poor and Communists are opposing it”, he cleared hitting the opposition in Lok Sabha over the debate.