New Delhi, July 17 (UNI) A day ahead of Monsoon session of Parliament, the BJP-led NDA was in triumphant mood as the saffron party's strategy to crack Opposition unity on election of Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha
seems to be working.
"We are trying to build consensus for the election of new Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman," Minister of State for
Parliamentary Affairs Vijay Goel said here.
The BJP leaders have floated the name of Akali Dal lawmaker Naresh Gujral for the key post and apparently
a consensus seems to be building up as Biju Janata Dal of Odisha and Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool
Congress reportedly are not averse to the idea of having Mr Gujral for the key post.
However, the jubilant mood in the NDA camp was marred a bit after Bihar-based LJP of Ram Vilas Paswan
made a strong pitch for a bill to "restore" the original status of the law on atrocities against Dalits - which was allegedly diluted a bit after a Supreme Court ruling.
LJP, which would be an important party in Bihar politics in next year's general elections after Nitish Kumar-led
JD(U)'s return to NDA fold, also favoured that the Modi government should take "all necessary steps" on
multiple issues to safe guard the interests of Dalit.
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan raised the matters related to the Supreme Court that its order on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 in the NDA meeting.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present at the meet among others.
On May 8 during Karnataka poll campaign, addressing a press conference at BJP office in Bengaluru,
Mr Paswan had said: "I want to make one thing clear, from government side a request has been made
to the Supreme Court that its order on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 be withdrawn. If the Supreme Court does not allow the previous Act then government has decided to issue an Ordinance wherein the old law without changing comma, full stop will remain enforced".
Mr Paswan's son and the party MP Chirag Paswan also raised the matter and sought government measures
on these issues in an all-party meeting held earlier here.
Chirag Paswan said a recent Supreme Court order had "weakened" the law.
The Supreme Court in its order in March has said immediate arrest under the law was too harsh.
The LJP MP (Chirag Paswan) said that the recent UGC circular had resulted in depriving weaker sections as
"fewer seats" are now being reserved for the communities.
Meanwhile, Akali leader Naresh Gujral said on Tuesday that he could becoming the NDA candidate for the
post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha only if there was an "unanimity" from various sections of the
Upper House.
"Personally, I feel there should not be any contest for this post as Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu had also
said," Mr Gujral said.
The post had fallen vacant after Congress member PJ Kurien retired.
The BJP has 69 members in the House and together with allies, it can make it to around 98 in the 250-member House.
Recently four members were nominated to the House by President Ram Nath Kovind.
The BJP-led NDA along with parties like AIADMK (13) can manage support of about 105 members but would
still fall short of 10-12 extra votes to ensure sure victory.
The Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is the ex-offico Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
The BJD of Naveen Patnaik with nine members too has been keen to field a candidate but it seems to agree
to the idea of Naresh Gujral for the post.
UNI DEVN SHK 2100