The Hindu : BJP serious about women's bill, says Vajpayee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jul 20, 2003

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National

BJP serious about women's bill, says Vajpayee

By Our Special Correspondent

RAIPUR JULY 19. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said today the Government would take every effort to bring in a women's reservation bill during the coming monsoon session of Parliament.

Speaking at the national executive committee meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party here, he asserted that the party was "very serious" on the issue. Some political parties had alleged that the BJP was not sincere about it, but that was not correct. Mr. Vajpayee lavished praise on the rapidly improving economic situation, adding that the number of people moving above the poverty line had gone up. India was moving forward with self-confidence and the future was bright.

Turning to the electoral battles that lay ahead, he said that in the coming polls the BJP must "strengthen itself" even while welcoming "new friends" into the National Democratic Alliance.

Earlier in the day, the party general secretary, Pramod Mahajan, had also declined to disclose the BJP's intentions towards its existing partner, the DMK, and the likely partner, the AIADMK.

Mr. Vajpayee emphasised that the Assembly polls later this year would not only decide the future of those States "but would also determine the direction of the country" — the outcome would be a pointer to what may happen in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

All the more reason for the party to do all it can to succeed.

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