Thread by @_maadhyam_

#LokSabha begins discussion on #Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill.
Protests have subsided for the time being.

Dr. Virender Kumar, Minister of Social Justice speaks on the Bill, claims that states will have the right to notify OBC lists for their states.

#SansadWatch

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, INC on #Constitution (127th) Amendment Bill:
- We had warned Govt in 2018 that states rights were being taken away, but Govt didn't listen. Wasted its time and money in Supreme Court petition
- Govt has majority, so doesn't listen

#SansadWatch

Chowdhary continues on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- When states started protesting, people started protesting and with an eye on election, you brought this Bill now
- But we also demand that 50% ceiling be removed, approach SC, let states decide

#SansadWatch

Chowdhary continues on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Until Constitution amended in 2018, states were free to decide their state lists for #OBC, centre had no role
- In 2021, Supreme Court held that since 2018, only centre can notify #OBCs
- You gave this opportunity to SC

Chowdhary continues on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- What was the need to do 'chhed khaani' with the arrangement in place? Govt wants to centralize everything.
- So, you were forced to bring this amendment
- You say cooperative federalism, but dont follow

#SansadWatch

Chowdhary concludes on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
-Claims in Indira Sawhney case, SC had mentioned that 50% #reservation is the rule, but it can be breached if there is need
- Provides stats on #Maratha community
- Repeats demand to reconsider 50% ceiling
- Supports Bill

Dr. Sanghamitra Maurya, BJP on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Claims that earlier Govts only paid lip service
- last #caste census happened in 1931, still using same data, reservation wasn't given to OBCs after independence
- #OBCs become important only during elections

Maurya concludes on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Continues PM Modi praise, many castes waiting for census to be included in list
- Continues Congress bashing, but thanks opposition for participating in this Bill

#SansadWatch

R. Baalu, DMK on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Bill is important for states' autonomy
- Talks about history of movements of #socialjustice in Tamil Nadu & how it inspired national policies related to backward classes

#SansadWatch

Baalu concludes his speech on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Demands that ceiling of 50% for #reservation should be removed
- Govt should undertake #CasteCensus and only then, can true numbers be known & proper development of #OBCs can happen

#SansadWatch

Sudip Bandyopadhyay, AITC on Constitution #OBCBill:
- We are supporting Bill, why is Govt not agreeing for discussion on #Pegasus?
- 30 Bills bulldozed in avg time of 10 minutes, only 11% Bills scrutinized by Committee

[Presiding Officer keeps urging him to only speak on Bill]

Bandyopadhyay continues on Constitution #OBCBill:
- Bill being brought since SC gave adverse judgment, takes away states rights
- Federalism needs to be strengthened in India & parliament democracy also needs to be upheld

[Some MPs from treasury benches heckle him in between]

Bandyopadhyay concludes on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Many states objected since state #OBC Commissions will basically become defunct, everything will be controlled from Delhi
- this Bill is beneficial to states, states can identify #OBC in their states, we support it

Bellana Chandra Sekhar, YSRCP on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- supports Bill
- Brings clarity to issue of states rights to notify #OBC in their states, which arose after 2018 #Constitution amendment
- Demands #CasteCensus for proper planning & development of OBC

Sekhar concludes on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Also speaks about providing reservation to #OBC in representative bodies like Lok Sabha and State assemblies

#SnasadWatch

Vinayak Raut, Shiv Sena on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
[Speaks in Marathi]
Most of his speech seems focused on #MarathaReservation, Indira Sawhney & demands from reservation from communities in other states

#SansadWatch

Rajiv Ranjan Singh, JD(U) on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Had to bring Bill because SC adverse judgment but Govt went in review against that & now brought bill
- Demands #CasteCensus

#SansadWatch

Bhupinder Yadav, BJP on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
Mostly speaks on two themes - Congress bashing & praise for his Govt & PM Modi for steps taken on welfare & social justice
- we increased creamy layer from 6lakh to 8lakh
[faces some heckling from Opposition]

Yadav finally comes to the Bill:
-Reads from Select Committee report on 2018 Bill that Ministry had clarified that rights of states wont be affected
-Reads portions from SC's judgment which had also taken note of this report
-Parliament's duty to clarify, that's what we are doing

NK Premachandran interjects:
Argues that Opposition had warned Govt in 2018 that this will take away rights of states, had warned that SC will strike it down, Govt could have clarified then and avoided this writ petition and bringing this Bill

#SansadWatch

Ramesh Chandra Majhi, BJD on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Claims that #OBC, minorities living in forests are unable to get patta, land rights under Forest Rights Act, they should also be included in FRA
- Supports Bill

#SansadWatch

Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil, TRS on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Claims that several communities in state which are struggling, they have been included in state list, but Centre still not included them in Centre list
- Supports Bill
- Demand reconsidering 50% ceiling

Prince Raj, LJSP on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Supports Bill

#SansadWatch

Supriya Sule, NCP on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Minister made a point about creamy layer, but it was supposed to be revised every 3 years, what has happened on that? And the OBC Committee also recommended, what happened to that?
- #EWS reservation given, no social audit

Sule continues on #OBCBill:
- Half hearted attempt by Govt, it will still not solve problem till 50% ceiling
- Majority wins in our democracy, we give suggestions, Govt doesn't listen
- #reservation still not given to Dhangar community

#SansadWatch

Sule concludes on #OBCBill:
- Claims that BJP MP had claimed that govt will give empirical data on caste, if so, please give, so that we can plan
- And since Govt so concerned of last mile, reduce #FuelPriceHike, inflation
- Support Maharashtra on Maratha reservation
#SansadWatch

Ritesh Pandey, BSP on Constitution #OBCReservation Bill:
- Supports Bill
- But slams govt for simply doing lip service, no real change, #OBC reservation needed in private jobs also, Govt 'bhram failati hai', 'jhunjhuna bajakar'
- Demands #CasteCensus

[Some MPs heckle him]

Akhilesh Yadav, SP on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Supports Bill
- BJP has misled #OBC
- Need to increase the pie, 50% ceiling needs to be reconsidered
- Just like to fill more MPs in #Parliament, you are building #CentralVista
- Why not do #CasteCensus?

#SansadWatch

Yadav concludes his speech on #OBCBill:
- Next govt in UP will be of SP and if Centre doesn't do #CasteCensus, Samajwadi party will do
- Demands reconsideration of 50% ceiling & caste census

#SnasadWatch

Kalyan Banerjee, AITC on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
-Govt is taking credit, but it is merely discharging its duties
-Give free elementary education, scholarships for higher education, free housing, water, electricity, for backward classes
-Why afraid to discuss #Pegasus?

Adv. AM Ariff, CPI(M) on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- What Govt shows in name of federalism is just crocodile tears. Did you consult States when framed #farmlaws or NEP?
- If SC didn't remind Govt about federalism, would we get vaccines free?
- Supports Bill
#SansadWatch

E T Mohammed Basheer, IUML on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Quota is an affirmative action policy and it was never meant to be a poverty alleviation programme, EWS is against the spirit of #reservation policy
- Reservations should be extended to private sector
#SansadWatch

Ganesh Singh, BJP on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- It is in line with demands of states
- Most of his speech is Congress bashing & praise for PM Modi, calls PM as second Ambedkar!

#SansadWatch

Meanwhile, many empty seats seen in #LokSabha, when debate on Constitution (127th) Amendment Bill is going on.

#OBCreservation
#SansadWatch

S. Jothimani, INC & Margani Bharat, YSRCP speak on Constitution (127th) Amendment Bill [#OBCreservation Bill] in Tamil & Telugu resp.

While speeches in regional languages get translated for Members inside the House, it doesn't happen for citizens watching live proceedings.

M. Selvaraj, CPI on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- raises a placard while speaking
- speaks in Tamil

#OBCreservation
#SansadWatch

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, SAD on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- supports Bill, will give rights to states to bring #OBC in list
- argues that if Govt can have so many discussions, why not on #farmlaws, many farmers died, why not discussion on #pegasus, wasted 3 weeks of session

Ram Mohan Naidu, TDP on Constitution (127th) Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Bill was inevitable, due to SC judgment this intervention was needed
- We need empirical data on #caste, for proper policy making
- 27% #OBCreservation not being fully implemented

#SansadWatch

Naidu concludes his speech on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Need a separate Ministry for #OBC
- Need parity in state and centre list, after all same people, centre should create a list which includes communities on basis of state lists, those left out
#OBCreservation

Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Govt not for #OBCs, in NCSC and NCST, scheduled castes and tribes can participate & plan, but NCBC not given that right, merely an advisory body
- why not doing sub-categorization of #OBC?

#OBCreservation

Owaisi on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- 'Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya?', when you love OBCs, why not breach the 50% ceiling?
- You don't love OBCs, just their vote
- Make 1950 scheduled caste order religion neutral, why not Dalit Muslims, Dalit Christians included?

Owaisi on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Why only Maratha reservation, Muslims in Maharashtra also educationally backward, why not reservations for Muslims?
- You don't care for upliftment of weak, you are only for the strong?

#OBCBill Constitution 127th Amendment

Anupriya Patel, Apna Dal on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Need accurate data on #castes, for proper planning
- states rights were curtailed by SC judgment, now this Bill will rectify
- Govt provided OBC quota in all india seats in NEET

#OBCreservation

Hanuman Beniwal, RLP on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill #OBCreservation
- Today, we are having this discussion, could have had similar discussion on #FarmerProtest, price rise etc. but Govt not willing to discuss, led to wasting time of #Parliament

Beniwal on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- Gujjars demanded reservation, Marathas, Patels etc. cases filed against them
- First govt took away rights of states in 2018, now giving back, why cant do the same with #farmlaws? Take them back. Many farmers #OBC, will help them.

Dayanidhi Maran, DMK on Constitution #OBCreservation Bill:
- More cabinet Ministers from #OBC now, but nly because UP elections, if only UP elections happened every year
- Govt has #castecensus data, but wont reveal it, it wants to benefit from it
- increase it to 69% like in TN

NK Premachandran, RSP on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Bill only restores powers of states which had the power to notify #OBC in their states, which Govt had taken away in 2018, because it wanted to centralize. Govt made mistake, now calling it historical.

Navneet Rana, Independent on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Maharashtra assembly should hold a special session to discuss this Bill, give rights to #OBC, earlier Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis had set up a special department for OBCs

#OBCreservation

Vijay Kumar Hansdak, JMM on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Govt congratulating itself for #OBCreservation, but what is the point when doing away with public sector slowly, when everything is being privatized, what use of reservation then?

#SansadWatch

Bhagwant Mann, AAP on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill:
- Supports Bill
- Take back #farmlaws, only then #OBC will get real happiness
- UP elections should happen every year so that you keep making policies for benefit of #OBCs

#SansadWatch

Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment now responds to debate on Constitution 127th Amendment Bill

The first full debate on any Bill in #MonsoonSession, it lasted for more than 5 hours today with many MPs speaking

#OBCreservation
#SansadWatch

Minister claims that #MarathaReservation is Maharashtra's state issue, and they are free to deal with it whichever way they want it

Then he claims that #castecensus was done in 2011 by UPA, why not made public then?
[Doesn't mention whether they will make it public now]

In response to demands from several MPs to reconsider 50% reservation cap, the Minister claimed that Govt is sympathetic to the demand and will study it since this cap was set 30 years ago.

Minister ends his speech and Constitution 127th Amendment Bill will not be put to vote.

Since this is a Constitutional amendment, it can only be passed through division (recorded votes)

Lobbies are being cleared in #LokSabha and voting procedure will soon begin. The Bill was debated for more than 5.30 hours.

A full house can be seen.

#OBCreservation
#SansadWatch

Finally, the Constitution 127th Amendment Bill to restore rights of states to notify #OBC lists for their states was passed by #LokSabha

Division of votes:
Yes - 385
No - 0
(Subject to correction)

#SansadWatch

#LokSabha moves to National Commission for Homeopathy (Amendment) Bill was taken up for discussion

MPs also resume their protests.

#SansadWatch

Without any discussion, the National Commission for Homeopathy (Amendment) Bill was put to vote and was passed within 6 minutes.

#LokSabha
#SansadWatch

Then #LokSabha takes up National System of Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill

It is also put to vote without any discussion and passed within 5 minutes.

Then #LokSabha adjourns for the day.

#SansadWatch