With just five days to go until the end of the monsoon session of parliament, the central government is trying to push through a constitutional amendment aimed at restoring the power of states to identify backward castes, at a time when the opposition has indicated it will remain in its session of the parliament, which began on July 19, has so far been shaken by frequent protests and interruptions. Well, hold up banners and shout anti-government slogans for their calls to discuss the Pegasus dispute, the three farm laws, and fuel price increases.
Last week, Santanu Sen was suspended from the meeting by Rajya Sabha MP TMC for allegedly "rebellious" behaviour, with opposition leaders accusing the president of not allowing them to express their views. According to opposition leaders, the government has not yet turned to the parties for support for the 127 classes (SEBC), not the states. The new bill effectively bypasses the Supreme Court decision that sparked protests by state governments and other backward caste groups (OBC). She also expects major elections in five states early next year.
Opposition support for the passage of the bill is significant as a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority of legislators to be present with at least 50% attendance during the proceedings. A senior congressional strategist, aware of the matter, indicated on Sunday that the party would not give in to calls for a debate on Pegasus. The whip of the chairman of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Jairam Ramesh, also indicated that the party is unlikely to change its position on Pegasus in the last five days of the session.
"Think about what happened in 2010," he said, noting that the 2010 winter session had failed when the BJP, then in the opposition, vigorously called for a joint parliamentary investigation into allegations of corruption in the allocation of 2G frequencies. "If the voice of the entire opposition in parliament is censored on a daily basis, we will communicate innovatively in Rajya," Sabha said on Sunday. "Sir (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, come and hear us," the Trinamool leader wrote in a tweet on Sunday, posting a three-minute video of opposition leaders protesting in both houses.