Enraged over the issue of inclusion of 17 backward castes into the Scheduled Caste category by the Uttar Pradesh government, Opposition BSP members on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Vidhan Parishad, asking why it was not done so far.
During Question Hour, BSP member Husna Siddiqui asked whether an announcement was made to include 17 castes of the most backward category into the Scheduled Castes and what was the reason that it was not done so far. In reply to the written question, Social Welfare Minister Awadhesh Prasad said that a sub-committee of the Cabinet was constituted to recommend inclusion of 17 castes of backward category in the Scheduled Caste. He said that on February 15 last year the state government had sent a proposal to the Union Ministry for Social Justice along with the recommendation to include these 17 castes into the Scheduled Caste which was followed by two reminders.
The Minister said as per the constitutional provision the Centre has the right to include any caste in scheduled caste category or to make any amendment in it. Raising a supplementary question, Leader of the Opposition, Naseemuddin Siddiqui said that while sending the proposal did the state government sent a separate proposal that the quota of Scheduled Castes should also be increased. He said that whether there was any legal problem in sending the proposal.
Later dissatisfied with the reply of the Minister, the BSP members staged a walkout.
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