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Home > News > Report

Govt defers Women's Reservation Bill;
to make another attempt at consensus


Shahid K Abbas in New Delhi | May 06, 2003 12:30 IST

Following protests from some parties, Speaker Manohar Joshi on Tuesday announced, the government has decided to defer tabling the controversial Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.

He made the announcement after an all-party meet in his chambers where the government's representative agreed to talk to other parties and make another attempt to evolve a consensus.

Earlier the government's move to table the Bill in the House invited disruptions with Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal members repeatedly storming the well and clashing with those from the Congress, forcing adjournment of the House for two hours.

As soon as the House assembled in the morning for Question Hour, Samajwadi and RJD members trooped into the well demanding withdrawal of the 85th Constitution Amendment Bill providing for 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from the agenda for the day.

They warned that the bill in its present form would never be acceptable to them and demanded reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities and OBCs.

They were supported by three key ruling National Democratic Alliance constituents -- Shiv Sena, Samata Party and Janata Dal (United).

At one stage, the SP took serious exception to Congress Deputy Leader Shivraj Patil's remark that his party was committed to protecting the interests of weaker sections in every field, charging the Congress with adopting double standards by joining hands with the BJP to get the Bill passed.

SP members menacingly moved towards the Congress benches and engaged in heated exchanges with Patil.

Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said his party was not opposed to reservations for women but wanted the Bill, introduced in the House in 1999, to provide reservation to women belonging to families of farmers, labourers, minorities and other backward classes.

The government's move to insert the clause of rotation of seats was fraught with dangerous consequences and would lead to snapping of crucial ties between the electorate and their representatives, Yadav said.

The bill was full of loopholes, which, he said, would further increase divisions in society.

Claiming that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was bent upon tabling the bill in haste, Yadav appealed to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to withdraw the bill in its present form and seek a consensus on it.

"We will continue to protest against the bill in its present form and should be excused for any unparliamentary behaviour," he said.

In view of the disruption, Speaker Manohar Joshi adjourned the House till 1400 IST.

With inputs from PTI




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