Over 18 lakh Uttar Pradesh government employees went on a flash strike after the bill on reservations in promotion in government jobs was tabled in the Rajya Sabha Thursday.
While work in most offices in the state came to a halt, emergency services like health and power were not disrupted.
The strike came hours after the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government introduced the constitution amendment bill, seeking quotas in promotions for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe.
Promptly, Samajwadi Party (SP) members walked out.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), especially its leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati, is pushing for the passage of the bill.
As the state employees went on strike, the SP found itself in a difficult situation as the party had initially said that it would not allow the introduction of the bill in the Rajya Sabha.