Cutting across party lines, members in the Lok Sabha on Thursday sought a reassurance from the government that the 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in higher educational institutions will be implemented by this academic year itself.
Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, the members echoed their resentment over the Supreme Court's stay on the implementation of the OBC quota and said, if need be, the government should convene a joint sitting of both Houses to pass a unanimous resolution to implement the bill providing for 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in higher educational institutions.
They, however, criticised the government for not representing the case properly in the Apex Court and said it should go fully-prepared on the next hearing on May 8.
The members said a very peculiar situation had arisen as the House had unanimously passed the bill providing for 27 per cent reservation to the OBC. The Parliament, they said, was the will of the people of the country.
It was, therefore, now the duty of the government, which had the mandate of the full House, to ensure that OBC students did not suffer because of legal wrangling, they pointed out.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader C Kuppusami said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had already written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and HRD Minister Arjun Singh appealing them to ensure that the OBC quota was implemented by this academic year itself.
He was supported by Santosh Gangwar (BJP), Devendra Prasad Yadav (RJD), L Ganeshan (MDMK), Mohammad Salim (CPM), Ramgopal Yadav (SP), Brij Kishore Tripathy (BJD), Yerran Naidu (TDP) and others.
Shiromani Akali Dal member Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, however, was the only exception who wanted the government to reconsider the bill to expand its ambit to include economically weaker sections.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee did not allow any member to a remark over the judiciary.