Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani was suspended from the Gujarat Assembly for the second consecutive day along with nine Congress legislators on Thursday after they demanded a discussion on reservation for Other Backward Classes in panchayat polls, reported PTI.

Assembly Speaker Nimaben Acharya suspended the legislators for the second time during the two-day special monsoon session.

The Gujarat Assembly was discussing a Bill regarding the Gujarat National Law University when senior Congress MLA Baldevji Thakor proposed a discussion on reservation for the Other Backward Classes in the panchayat bodies.

After Acharya rejected the proposal, Thakor, along with other Congress MLAs and Mevani, rushed to the Well of the House. The legislators protested and raised slogans demanding 27% reservation for the community and a caste census, reported PTI.

The Gujarat Panchayats Act ensures 10% reservation for the OBC communities in gram panchayat elections.

“Got suspended for second consecutive day in the two-day monsoon session of Gujarat Assembly,” Mevani tweeted. “We wanted a discussion on caste based census for the welfare of Scheduled CasteC/ST, OBC and minorities. Instead of having a discussion, we were suspended from the House for raising the issue.”

Gujarat government has appointed a panel named Dedicated Commission to decide on the reservation for Other Backward Classes in local bodies

Earlier this month, delegations from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress had submitted their representations to the commission. The BJP asked the panel to give the highest possible reservation to the OBCs while the Opposition Congress urged it to increase the quota to 27%.

On Wednesday, Opposition leader Sukhram Rathva had proposed a discussion on the strikes led by government employees of various departments in Gujarat after which Mevani and other Congress MLAs were suspended for protesting in the Well of the House.

Several state government employees including health and transport department workers in Gujarat have been agitating over a number of problems at a time when Assembly elections are just months away.