Date:12/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/12/stories/2008041255071300.htm

National

Brinda Karat’s plea to Manmohan

Special Correspondent

“Convene all-party meet on Women’s Bill as assured”

NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat has asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convene a meeting of all political parties to arrive at a consensus on the Women’s Reservation Bill.

In a letter to Dr. Singh, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member drew his attention to the assurance given in the Rajya Sabha during the reply to the President’s address on March 5 that as soon as Parliament dispersed for recess he would call all political parties for a discussion on the Bill.

Great urgency

“Since the recess period is almost over and no meeting has been held yet, I would request you to kindly call the meeting at the earliest. It hardly needs reiteration that there is a great urgency to the issue since there is just a year left before the next Lok Sabha election,” Ms. Karat said in the letter.

The Prime Minister’s assurance came in response to a query from Ms. Karat and her colleague Sitaram Yechury on the Bill.