Front Page   

We will go ahead with the women's bill: PM

By Our Staff Correspondent

The Prime Minister, A.B. Vajpayee, with the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of the Opposition, Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and Somnath Chatterjee at an all-party meeting on Women's Reservation Bill at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Friday — Photo: V. Sudershan

NEW DELHI MARCH 7. With the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal continuing to oppose the Women's Reservation Bill, the chances of its passage in the current session appear dim, even as the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, made it clear that the Government would push through the bill with a majority vote if a consensus proved to be elusive.

The all-party meet convened by Mr. Vajpayee here today to discuss the issue — hanging fire for the past five years — failed to arrive at a consensus, with the Samajwadi Party seeking more time to take up the matter with the Congress and the CPI (M). Mr. Vajpayee made it clear that while the minority voice was respected in a Parliamentary system, it would not be allowed to ask the majority to give up.

He told the Samajwadi Party chief, Mulayam Singh Yadav, that the Parliamentary system was run on a majority vote and asked him to discuss the bill with other parties within a fortnight, failing which it would be passed in Parliament with majority vote when the House met after recess. Officially, there was no word on whether the bill would be passed in its present form or with amendments.

While most parties favoured its passage or were willing to support the Election Commission's proposal for reservation by political parties, the two strong voices of dissent came from Mulayam Singh Yadav and the Rashtriya Janata Dal president, Laloo Prasad Yadav.

The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, strongly in favour of women's reservation, suggested that those wanting to discuss the bill further should inform the Government directly about their decision to enable the Centre to make up its mind. There was no need to hold any more meetings, she said. Congress sources said that though the party was a staunch supporter of the bill it would still want a consensus on it.

The PMK, the Janata Dal (U), the Muslim League, the Samata Party and the TDP did not participate in the meeting while the AIADMK has extended support for the bill in toto. Among the NDA allies, the Shiv Sena has openly opposed the bill but favoured the EC's proposals. The Akali Dal and the Bahujan Samaj Party are ready for both the options. The RJD and the Samajwadi Party leaders had even demanded reservation for the Backward Classes, Dalits and Muslim women, which was turned down by the Prime Minister. Sticking to the earlier stand, Laloo Prasad Yadav wanted the quantum of reservation to be left to the parties, though he was not averse to giving 15 per cent seats to women. Not too happy with the option of passing the bill with a majority vote, he said he did not favour hurrying it through by threatening to pass it on the basis of numbers. At one point of time, he is reported to have said that the post of Prime Minister or President should also be reserved for women.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, said that the meeting had passed off well with most parties favouring the bill and many of them wanting to push it through in the current session of Parliament. "Mulayam Singh Yadav wanted more time to discuss the bill with the Congress and the CPI (M) with whom he was hopeful of arriving at a consensus. The Prime Minister accepted his request and gave him a fortnight," Ms. Swaraj said.

The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, said the Government had tried its best for a consensus, and would even support the Election Commission's proposal, if all parties agreed to it.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Iraq's cooperation active: Blix
• We will act even without U.N. backing: Bush
• Ganguly, Yuvraj script India's win
• We will go ahead with the women's bill: PM
• Pak. denies Osama's sons have been arrested
• No question of quitting: Mayawati
• Pak. spy held in Delhi
• Sarkar Ministry sworn in
• Scientist held
• LPG price revision likely
• Torpedo launched

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu