Hope women`s reservation bill gets passed in Parliament: Karuna

Chennai: DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Monday expressed hope that the Women`s Reservation Bill would be passed in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament. "One of our party`s important policies is reservation for women. Hoping that Women`s Reservation Bill will be passed at least in the Parliament session in August with everyone`s support and cooperation, I appeal to everyone that the bill be passed," he said in a letter to party workers.

Listing out various instances in Parliament in the last 14 years to bring forward the Bill and attempts against it, he said the DMK had never failed to pass resolutions for the bill in any of the general body meetings and conferences. Rejecting the opinion that there must be a consensus for passing the Bill, he said, "Postponing (the Bill) in the name of `waiting` will not make it not acceptable. At least, if we cannot pass the Bill with required votes, we can identify those who are not for the Bill." Explaining the need for reservation for women, he said, "Even now women can contest. Law does not prevent them. But it is male domination that does not allow them to do so." "If we reserve seats for women and make only women contest these seats, the deed of laying foundation for their rights will be started," he contended. PTI