Without getting into a verbal confrontation with the judiciary, members of the legislature today cut across party lines to arrive at a consensus, empowering the Government to form a small political committee for a Central legislation to safeguard ‘‘social justice’’, ‘‘rights of minorities’’ and stall ‘‘commercialisation of education’’.Emerging from a four-hour-long all-party meeting called in the backdrop of the Supreme Court verdict against reservation in private unaided professional colleges, Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said he had been authorised by all political parties to state that ‘‘an attempt should be made to frame a Central law providing social justice, eliminating commercialisation of education and protecting minority rights as enshrined in Article 30 of the Constitution.’’Singh said he had also been authorised to form a small committee with members of various political parties of which he would be a part. The committee, in consultation with the Government, would decide whether a Constitutional amendment or a separate legislation would be required to give shape to the consensus arrived by political parties at tonight’s meeting.‘‘We had a frank and fruitful discussion and all members have expressed their view clearly and in a constructive manner,’’ he said.Though no time-frame has been fixed, Singh said ‘‘the efforts would be towards bringing it by the next (Winter) session’’ of Parliament. ‘‘We have to be very careful,’’ he added.Avoiding a verbal confrontation with the judiciary, especially on the Supreme Court’s critical view today on the legislature’s response to its verdict, Singh said, ‘‘We (the legislature) are not willing to make any assessment or observation. The judiciary, certainly, has the privilege and the power to make any observation.’’He denied that there was any discussion on the Supreme Court’s strong observation at the meeting. ‘‘We just want to avoid any unnecessary confrontation,’’ he said.Giving the BJP’s view on the matter and the meeting, senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said that the ‘‘small consultative committee (to be formed by the Government) will decide whether it is going to be a Constitutional amendment or a legislation’’.‘‘Whatever way is evolved, it has to be carefully formulated so that it is not struck down by the judiciary,’’ Swaraj added.
