Differences in BJP on reservation in promotion bill

Differences cropped up among Bharatiya Janata Party MPs on the issue of providing reservation in promotion for SC and ST government employees a day after a bill in this regard was passed by the Rajya Sabha.

"On the issue of reservation, yes there were discussions and different voices also came about. But the leaders explained that whole Constitutional amendment has been changed substantially because of the intervention of BJP," party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said Tuesday.

He was talking to reporters after the BJP parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi.

Prasad said the leaders explained that the norms of efficiency (in governance) under Article 335 of the Constitution shall not be ignored even while giving promotion to SC/ST employees.

"Those who have been promoted post 1995 will not be reverted. Government has given an assurance that this being an enabling provision, the Centre will write to all the states to ensure that those who have been promoted, their interest is not adversely impacted due to the amendment," he said.

While BJP had supported the measure, its National Democratic Alliance partner Shiv Sena is opposed to it, besides Samajwadi Party which was isolated during voting in the Upper House where the bill was passed by overwhelming majority.