Cutting across party lines, the Lok Sabha was unanimous in its concern over the recent Supreme Court order against reservations for faculty in the super-speciality section of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.

This led to Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal assuring the House on Wednesday that the Government would file a review petition of the order. “If the review petition is not accepted, we will go for Constitutional amendment in this session itself,” he said.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar set aside the agenda for Question Hour and took up the AIIMS reservation issue. She asked members from different parties to express their views, most of whom sought a Constitutional amendment without any delay.

Last month, a five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the then Chief Justice Altamas Kabir had passed an order against caste-based reservations in faculty posts for speciality and super-speciality courses in AIIMS. This had been opposed by almost all political parties.

On Wednesday, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the judges had gone beyond the scope of the petition, and demanded a statement by the Law Minister in the House.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said, “The Supreme Court wants to set the entire country on fire.”

Congress leader P.L. Punia alleged that the apex court’s arguments betrayed prejudice, and called for reservations in the judiciary.

CPI (M) leader Basudeb Acharia termed the apex court’s order as not only anti-Dalit, but anti-national, too. “Reservation is a right given by the Constitution,” he added.

Later, DMK members, led by T.R Baalu, trooped into the well of the House to press for their demand for a Constitutional amendment.

The Speaker concluded the discussion and said, “The whole House is very agitated over this issue and my suggestion to the Government side is that it should think of a Constitutional amendment.”

aditi.n@thehindu.co.in

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