Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday admitted that sharp differences prevailed in the Janata Dal - United over the Women's Reservation Bill, but ruled out reports of a crisis brewing within the party."I admit there have been honest differences of opinion in the party over the support to the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, but it should not be taken as a crisis or split facing the party," said Kumar.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday expressed confidence that the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill would be passed by parliament this year.
While the Rajya Sabha had exactly six years ago passed the Women's Reservation Bill, the legislation has since been pending in Lok Sabha.
The Congress, the DMK, the RJD and the AAP were in the well of the house and continued to raise slogans against the government.
Indian women have education, inspiration and perspiration -- but not enough employment, points out Mahesh Vyas.
Once the Bill is passed in the assembly and notified, the Marathas will be entitled to reservation in the government jobs and in admission in government institutions.
Gandhi also assured support of her party to the legislation, which she said would be a "significant" step forward in the empowerment of women.
Gandhi attacked the government over its 'maximum governance' slogan, saying this also meant expanding the base of disagreement without inviting retribution, a reference to its crackdown on several non-governmental organisations.
Sonia Gandhi is confident about a third term for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance.
"We support the Women's Reservation Bill and we are working to build a consensus among all political parties for the purpose," Home Minister Shivraj Patil said in New Delhi.
Batting for early passage of women's reservation bill, Rahul Gandhi on Monday vowed to work for larger representation to them in Parliament, government and Congress and noted that the party and the country cannot ignore the views of half of the population.
The country on Friday elected 543 Members of Parliament to the 16th Lok Sabha. Here is a brief profile of the MPs gender, age, education and professional profiles.
Amid demands for getting the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill passed, the government on Wednesday said it is ready to extend the last session of the 15th Lok Sabha if the House agreed.
The reorganisation bill provides for formation of Union territory of Ladakh without legislature and a separate one for Jammu and Kashmir with legislature.
With the issue of safety and security of women taking precedence on International Women's Day, the demand for early passage of the women's reservation bill appeared to have taken a backseat in Lok Sabha.
The decision was taken at a meeting in senior BJP leader LK Advani's residence on Monday, which was attended by the party's allies. At a press conference soon after, Jaswant Singh described the decision as a "great honour".
Both the Congress and the UPA government are racing against time to try and revamp their image with the people. The new direct benefit transfer schemes, the proposed food security bill, the land acquisition bill and perhaps the women's reservation bill are among the vehicles that the Congress intends to use to reach out to the people, says Saroj Nagi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday assured at the all-party meeting that the government is ready to discuss all issues.
Directors Kiran Rao, Nandita Das and Javed Akhtar tell us why they favour the women reservation Bill
Patnaik's decision would mean that the ruling BJD will field women candidates for at least seven out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Team Anna member Kiran Bedi on Thursday feared that the Lokpal Bill may go the Women's Reservation Bill's way as those in power are comfortable with status quo.
Yet another effort to reach a consensus on the Women's Reservation Bill failed to make any progress with two major political parties staying away from an all-party meeting here today and others opposed to the measure sticking to their guns.
Reservations for women will not dramatically and automatically redeem systematic, pervasive discrimination reservations but it will play a key role in bringing women's concerns to bear on public debate and official policies.
The standoff over Women's Reservation Bill ended on Thursday with the government announcing that the proposed legislation would be brought in the Lok Sabha only after consultations with all sections.
UPA managers say cooling of tempers, passage of Budget are bigger priorities.
Even as the deadlock between the Gujjars and the government over the quota issue persisted for the 13th day on Saturday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot ruled their demand for five per cent reservation in state government jobs, saying the government will work according to the guidelines of the Rajasthan high court.
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Continuing with his opposition to the Women's Reservation Bill, Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh alleged that quota for the fairer sex would impede the progress of backwards and minorities on Friday.
The government said on Friday that the controversial Women's Reservation Bill would be brought for consideration in the Lok Sabha in the Monsoon Session of Parliament -- a move apparently aimed at dividing opposition unity.
Greenpeace has also launched a petition addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which the organisation claims has been signed by over 21,000 people.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday sought to re-unite the opposition by apologising on behalf of the seven Members of Parliament suspended for unruly behaviour and demanding that the government express regret for using marshals during the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill. Opposition parties and those supporting the United Progressive Alliance government from outside like Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party were united against it.
A day after the Trinamool Congress abstained from voting on women's reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha, party supremo Mamata Banerjee tonight met Congress president Sonia Gandhi and explained her party's stand.
Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee attributed her party's abstention from voting on the Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha to a "communication gap" and said she was committed to the Constitutional amendment.
When the House reassembled at noon after the first adjournment, members of Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal-United and Lok Janshakti Party rushed menacingly to the well shouting 'marshal bulao' (call the marshals), prompting Speaker Meira Kumar to immediately adjourn the House till 1400 hours.
"Then we will have reservation for men," Congress President Sonia Gandhi said in a lighter vein on Wednesday when a Trinamool Congress leader contended that men would be a marginalised lot if the Women's Reservation Bill was enacted and implemented.
As soon as the Question Hour began, the issue was raised by Ramgopal Yadav (SP) and supported by RJD members. Even CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury favoured the revocation of the suspension. Members from the treasury benches, however, insisted that the suspended members should tender apology.
Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said he would hand over to President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday a letter withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance government, over the issue of the Women's Reservation Bill, while SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav remained non-committal on the issue.
Taking a serious view of the hooliganism exhibited by a group of Members of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha on Monday during the tabling of the Women's Reservation Bill, a disciplinary action is being mooted, said sources.
Several Union Ministers and leaders of various political parties apologised on Monday to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the disrespect shown to him by some members and their unruly behaviour in the House on the issue of taking up the Women's Reservation Bill.
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