NewDelhi: Opposition parties are likely to leverage the 127th Constitutional Amendment Bill in the Parliament to corner the government and press for the removal of the 50 percent cap imposed on reservations by the Supreme Court (SC). The Bill intends to restore the power accorded to states for maintaining a “state list” of OBCs, and is to be tabled by the BJP government today. Once the Bill is tabled in the Lok Sabha, it will be taken up for discussion by the two Houses through this week.
Notably, removal of the capping is a long-standing demand of the OBC community. However, this year the Indian National Congress (INC) may extend support to the demand citing the 127th Constitutional Amendment Bill. If reports are to be believed, this was the consensus reached in a meeting held on 8 August 2021, between Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray, and certain Congress and NCP leaders of the state.
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The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun is, however, yet to take a call on whether the party will join the debate on the OBC Bill, as it shall amount to breaking the ongoing deadlock in the Parliament.
Not much work has been done in the ongoing session of the Parliament as the Opposition has been stalling and disrupting most proceedings to demand a discussion on the Pegasus spyware fiasco.
Provided the Opposition decides to stall its protest in the House and discuss the OBC agenda, the reservation cap is an issue the BJP government shall have to address, and if need be, negotiate. Interestingly, tabling the Bill amid the ongoing deadlock is being seen by many as a government ploy to break the blockade over Pegasus.
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