Patna: Sharp divisions emerged among the opponents of the Women's Reservation Bill with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supporting the measure pitting himself against his party President Sharad Yadav who is opposed to it.
"When I was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, I had given a dissent note (more than a decade ago). Now the time has come to give women reservation in Parliament and State Assemblies. I will talk to Sharadji and appeal to him to ensure passage of the bill," Kumar told reporters in Patna.
However, JD(U) President Sharad Yadav, a strong opponent of the Bill ever since its introduction in 1997, said his party's opposition to the measure in its present form would continue.
The Constitution amendment bill seeking to provide reservation for women in Lok Sabha and Assemblies is slated to come up for consideration on Monday in Rajya Sabha, where the JD(U) has seven MPs. The party also has 20 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
The government is happily placed in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, where it has the support of 138 members of Congress, BJP and Left parties besides a number of small parties, which takes the backing to more than 165. The special majority required in the House with an effective strength of 233 is 155.
Kumar said that it would be good if the government accepts the demand for introducing quota within quota but it would not be appropriate to block the bill on the issue.
"Ideally, women of extremely backward and backward castes should be provided reservation in both Parliament and Assembly. We will keep our efforts on for getting it," he added.
On Kumar's stand, Yadav told reporters in Delhi that the Chief Minister had also talked to him about his "suggestion" and pointed out that he had strongly opposed the measure in the past demanding quota within quota for women belonging to backward castes.
Asked whether he was rejecting Kumar's suggestion, he evaded a direct reply saying," the answer is in what I have said."
To a question whether the party would oppose the Bill when it comes before Rajya Sabha, Yadav said that his party's opposition was not of one day.
Yadav dared both BJP and Congress to seek passage of the bill without issuing any whip to their members.
"If they are saying that they have majority then I challenge them not to issue any whip to their members on the issue. JD(U) will also not issue a whip and then if they succeed in passing the bill, I will be the first to accept it," Yadav said adding this will reveal to both the parties what is the internal situation in their organizations over the issue.
Yadav also stressed that it was former BJP leader Uma Bharti, who along with Nitish Kumar and few others had given her dissent to the Bill more than a decade back.
He also accused the proponents of the Bill of "bulldozing" 80% of the population and said that they are the real opponents of the empowerment of women.
"We are in favour of the empowerment of the majority of women but it is being said that we are opposing it," Yadav said adding that those, who are pushing for the Bill in its present form "at the instance of some NGOs and women in Delhi" are its real opponents.
Cong hails Nitish's statement favouring Women Bill
Congress today hailed the
statement of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar favouring the
passage of Women Reservation Bill and hoped that others
opposed to the legislation would also modify their views in
its favour.
"Congress welcomes the statement of Nitish Kumar. We hope
that other parties and leaders who are opposing the Bill will
also modify their views and support the Bill sooner or later
as it is a just cause," Party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said.
His reaction came after Kumar said in Patna, "When I was
a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, I had given a
dissent note (more than a decade ago). Now the time has come
to give women reservation in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
I will talk to Sharadji and appeal to him to ensure passage of
the bill."
JD-U President Sharad Yadav is, however, maintaining the
party's opposition to the Bill in its present form.
Ahmed, however, said, "Congress is emotionally attached
to the Bill, the process for which was initiated by late Rajiv
Gandhi. Party chief Sonia Gandhi has accorded highest priority
to it. We welcome anybody, who supports it and are hopeful
that its opponents will come around as the bill seeks to
empower one of the most deprived sections of our society."
He also expressed confidence that the Bill would be
passed by the Rajya Sabha.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 06, 2010, 18:41