Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Wednesday stunned Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari by unleashing a fusillade on him. She told him that he is not seen in the House in the afternoon after which it is not allowed to function.
‘I am not ready to listen to anything. We have seen in the last few days that every day the House is not allowed to function after 12 pm. It is your responsibility to ensure that it functions. Who will ensure that it functions,’ she told the Chair from the Well as also from her seat. ‘You are not seen here after 12 pm... What kind of House is this? You have to take decision that what has to be done for this (ensuring the functioning of the House),’ she added protesting against the frequent disruption over bill on reservation in promotion for SC/STs in government jobs.
‘I am not ready to listen to anything. We have seen in the last few days that every day the House is not allowed to function after 12 pm. It is your responsibility to ensure that it functions. Who will ensure that it functions,’ she told the Chair from the Well as also from her seat. ‘You are not seen here after 12 pm... What kind of House is this? You have to take decision that what has to be done for this (ensuring the functioning of the House),’ she added protesting against the frequent disruption over bill on reservation in promotion for SC/STs in government jobs.
Mayawati’s remarks left the House stunned. Ansari told her that she was a senior leader and should allow the House to function and it was the responsibility of everyone to let the House function. BSP, memebers, however, were unrelenting.
Samajwadi Party (SP), arch rival of Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh, is protesting reservation in promotion. SP and BSP had helped government in voting on Foreign Direct Investment in retail recently and it is believed that Mayawati wanted this bill to be passed in lieu of her support.
BSP MPs also shouted ‘dalit virodhi ye sarkar nahi chalegi’ (anti-dalit government is not acceptable). A visibly upset Ansari adjourned the House till noon. When the House reassembled, BSP members again trooped into the Well shouting anti-government slogans. Later the House was adjourned for the day.
Mayawati, later talking to reporters, justified the tough stand taken by her party in the Rajya Sabha, saying ‘There is a limit to tolerate things’ and hinted about her more tough stand on reservation in promotion in coming days if the bill is not passed. ‘I had said two days ago that BSP would adopt a tough stand. It is the responsibility of the government and the Rajya Sabha Chairman to bring the House in order...Today’s (outburst) was our first tough stand in Rajya Sabha. We will take our next stand at an appropriate time,’ she said.
She also accused the government of not being serious in passing the bill for providing reservation in promotion. ‘If the government is actually serious about the passage of the bill and other public interest legislations, then the government as well as the Chairman should see that the House should function in order,’ she said.