NEW DELHI: Marking a major political milestone for the Modi government, Rajya Sabha on Monday unanimously passed the bill to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Classes, which has been hanging fire for more than a year.

The slightly reworked bill, with provisions for a woman member and assurances that the powers of states will not be diluted, was passed unanimously by the upper House where the opposition had previously forced amendments to the discomfiture of the government.

This time around, the bill was debated intensely, but passed muster setting the stage for a new and more empowered NCBC that is in sync with BJP's outreach to the backward castes. The commission is also crucial to the process of evaluating claims of groups like Jats that have been demanding reservation under OBC status -- a major issue in Haryana .

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has provided justice to the backward community, which was deprived of developments for decades, with this legislation," BJP chief Amit Shah said, reflecting the premium the party places on wooing the backward castes, which backed the party in significant numbers in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

While social justice and empowerment minister Thawarchand Gehlot described the amendments as “the need of hour to help OBCs fight atrocities and get speedy justice”, the Opposition demanded the government must make public numbers in the socio-economic and caste census. The bill was passed in Lok Sabha last week.

During the debate, opposition parties criticised BJP for indulging in “vote bank politics” in the run-up to 2019 elections. This was was met with an equally strong counter from BJP members who accused Congress for failing to act during two terms that UPA held office.

While the Opposition expressed its apprehensions, none opposed the bill. Finally, the upper House adopted the legislation by 156 votes to nil. Over two-third majority of those present voted in favour of the bill, which is a necessity for amending the Constitution.

Replying to the debate, Gehlot referred to suggestions by the opposition parties and said the NCBC would have female representation and this would be made part of the rules. However, the opposition’s demand for inclusion of a minority member was not accepted. BJP members said the parameters were backwardness and not religion.

Gehlot also said a misconception is being spread that the national commission will encroach on the rights of state governments. He said the state governments had their own lists of castes of OBCs. The NCBC would recommend only to the central government regarding inclusion or deletion of a particular caste in the list. “There was demand for a constitutional status to OBC Commission from the 1980s and Parliament had held discussions several times,” Gehlot added.

BJP MP Bhupender Yadav charged Congress with sabotaging the bill last year. “UPA in its two terms failed to bring this amendment... OBC is a religion- neutral term and the bill failed last time because politics defeated social justice,” Yadav said.

He said the bill is long overdue and lamented that many states have not implemented 27 per cent reservation to the OBCs and added that parties should “rise above vote-bank politics and work towards social justice”. B K Hariprasad from Congress objected to Yadav’s allegations. “The bill had defects and we wanted the changes to be made so that the amendments help the OBCs,” Hariprasad said.

