Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS) Despite BSP supremo Mayawati’s request to let parliament function for passing a bill on reservations in promotions for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, the BJP is unlikely to oblige her, a party leader said Tuesday.

At a meeting of top party leaders here Tuesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party decided that it will continue its protest on the coal scam. Mayawati had “requested” the BJP through media to give some time for passing the constitutional amendment bill for reservation for SCs/STs in promotion in government jobs before monsoon session ends Sep 7.

BJP members have been creating ruckus over the coal scam, and a constitutional bill, which requires at least two-third of the members to be present in the house, and at least two third votes in favour of the bill, cannot be passed amidst din, unlike other bills the government has got passed.

The decision not to change the stand was taken at the meeting at senior party’s leader L. K. Advani’s house.

“BJP will corporate with Maya as much as the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) has reciprocated in the past,” a senior party leader said after the meeting.

“We will continue with our protest in both houses. We are ready for any discussion, whether it is coal block allocation or SC/ST reservation, provided our demands are accepted,” said the leader.

The meeting was attended by Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Venkaiah Naidu, Ravishankar Prasad, and Anant Kumar, along with Advani and others.

The BJP has been demanding cancellation of alloted coal blocks and a fair probe in allocations in lieu of a Comptroller and Auditor General report revealing $37 billion loss to the exchequer due to faulty allocation of coal blocks.

The BJP had attempted to woo BSP to join them against government on the coal scam, but the Mayawati chose to keep quiet.

In the all party meeting on the bill chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month, the BJP had decided to support the bill.

Talking to IANS earlier Tuesday, party leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the party will back the bill, but had some reservations.

“We are supporting the bill. But some members have some reservations. We will discuss it and suggest some amendments,” he said.

The cabinet Tuesday approved the constitutional amendment bill.