Quota in promotion bill to divert attention from coal scam:BJP

"The UPA tabled the bill for quota in promotion to SCs and STs in government jobs in Parliament amid pandemonium and blamed the opposition for not allowing a discussion and non-passage of the legislation in Parliament as part of a premeditated conspiracy to divert people's attention from the Coalgate scam," BJP vice president and former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari told reporters here.

The former chief minister alleged the Congress had introduced the legislation to please its allies but was not serious about getting it passed as not even half of its members were present in the House when it was tabled.

Accusing the Congress of following the divide and rule policy of the British to stay in power, Koshyari said it was deliberately driving a wedge among communities which are agitating in different parts of the country including Uttarakhand over the issue of quota in promotion.

When asked about the BJP's stand on the issue, Koshyari said it would be spelt out when the party comes to power.

Claiming that BJP is the true sympathiser of Dalits and the deprived sections, he said it was during Vajpaee-led NDA government that the huge backlog of vacancies meant for SC/ST candidates was cleared by giving jobs to at least four lakh beneficiaries.

On the ongoing agitation on the issue of reservation in promotion in Uttarakhand, the BJP leader said all government orders creating social discord be withdrawn and 20,000 vacancies reserved for dalits and backwards be immediately filled.

He said if Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna is a true sympathiser of SCs and STs, he should relinquish his post to pave the way for someone from these communities to take over.

He said there are people from backward communities in Bahuguna's Cabinet capable of becoming chief minister.