New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) BJP MP Jagdambika Pal on Friday said SC/ST reservation in the country would have been discontinued if his party was not in power at the Centre.
Participating in a two-day debate in Lok Sabha on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", the Domariyaganj MP attacked opposition members for allegedly not fulfilling their constitutional responsibility of attending the Parliament session but visiting Hathras and Sambhal.
"The SC-ST reservation was extended till 2030 by the BJP government. If BJP government was not there, reservation would have been discontinued in the country. We are protecting the laws of the country. They talk about backward classes during elections, who gave them the constitutional status? Our government," he said.
"They are talking about Constitution but are they fulfilling their constitutional responsibility? When the Parliament session is going on, they are going to Hathras or Sambhal and not attending House daily," added Pal.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the family members of a 19-year-old Dalit woman who was allegedly gangraped in September 2020. She later died during treatment in Delhi.
The woman's family had reached out to Gandhi earlier this year, seeking his support in getting "justice", according to the Congress which shared a letter addressed to the LoP by her father.
Gandhi's sister and MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met the families of Sambhal violence victims in the national capital on Tuesday evening. Last week, the Uttar Pradesh government denied the Congress leaders permission to visit Sambhal and meet the families of the victim.
Participating in the debate, Congress member Hibi Eden alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had "time for Kapoor, not Manipur".
He was apparently referring to the recent meeting of the Kapoor family with Modi.
The opposition has been urging the prime minister to visit strife-torn Manipur.
Eden also said that while as chair of the Constitution drafting committee, B R Ambedkar had differences with Congress, an excellent document was brought out.
"That is the beauty of the Constitution," he said.
He also slammed the government for scrapping the provision of two Anglo-Indian nominated MPs in the Lok Sabha.
IUML's E T Mohammed Bashir alleged that the constitutional rights of minorities were being curtailed.
D Purendeshwari of BJP said India has "too many" personal laws which were dividing the country. Therefore, a common code was required. But she said the common code should be progressive in nature.