Lok Sabha passes bill to extend political reservation to SCs, STs; Prasad says quotas will be never removed

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a bill to extend the reservation for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and state assemblies by ten years with Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stating that the BJP was fully committed to reservation for these sections and it will never be removed.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019, was passed with a division with 355 members voting in its favour and none against it.

With several members expressing concern over the bill not having provision for extending the reservation for Anglo-Indians, the minister said the government will take a call on the issue.

He accused Congress of "obliterating" provisions for them relating to postal department and railways. The minister said according to 2011 census, there were 296 members of the Anglo-Indian community.

The minister said the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will never be removed.

"BJP is fully committed to reservation for SCs and STs. It will remain and will never be removed," Prasad said. He said the need for the bill has been brought as the reservation for SCs and STs will end on January 25, 2020.

Speaker Om Birla said the constitution amendment bill had been passed by a majority of the total membership of the House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.