Cong planning massive rally against delay of Reservation Bill

     Raipur, December 26, 2022: Ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh will organise a huge rally against the delay in getting assent of the Reservation Amendment Bill from the Governor Anusuiya Uikey.

     A huge rally will hit the street on January 3, 2023, being organised by the Pradesh Congress Committee, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said here.

     The Chief Minister also termed as “very unfortunate” the delay in getting approval of the Reservation Amendment Bill from the Raj Bhawan.

     Our officers were opposed to giving reply to the 10 questions raised by the Governor as there was no such provision in the Constitution, Baghel said.

     However, we submitted that. Now it is said that information will again be verified by the Legal Advisor to the Governor, he said.

     Who is this Legal Advisor, functioning above the state assembly? asked the Chief Minister.

     If anyone can check, that should be by the High Court or the Supreme Court and not the Legal Advisor, he added.

     This is very unfortunate, Baghel said.

     Rahul Gandhi has been saying that the constitutional authorities are being weakened deliberately, he said, while referring to the matter involving the legal advisor to the Raj Bhawan.

     The Governor had earlier stated that she will not sign the Bill until she got the reply. Since the reply has been submitted she should put his seal of approval on the bill, Baghel said.

     On December 02 last Chhattisgarh Assembly had passed a government bill to give 76 per cent reservation to SC, ST and others after the High Court dismissed a quota reservation formula, enacted by the previous BJP government, led by Dr Raman Singh.

     Chief Minister Baghel had moved two separate bills which were passed after detailed discussions to give Scheduled Tribe (ST) 32 per cent, Schedule Caste (SC) 13 per cent, Other Backward Class (OBC) 27 per cent and 4 per cent reservation to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), totalling 76 per cent.

     The Assembly also passed a resolution to put that amendment in the 9^th Schedule of the Constitution.

     The High Court had previously rejected the reservation quota, which was exceeding 50 per cent and since the new amendment has preferred 76 per cent quota, that has become one of the point of contention between the Raj Bhawan and the Congress Government among others.