New Delhi: Several women MPs on Monday blamed the
"absolutely disastrous" floor management for the pandemonium
in Rajya Sabha which led to the Women's Reservation Bill being
derailed.
BJP MP Najma Heptullah said the responsibility lies with
the Parliamentary Affairs Minister and the whips. "They
should have ensured floor management...The floor management
was absolutely disastrous," she said.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat said that "it was
shameful and unfortunate that the Bill could not be cleared on
the occasion of the International Women's Day. It is a shame
on the government that it could not get it done today.
"It had the numbers with it and even the opposition was
supporting it. The Prime Minister should have convened the
all-party meeting on the issue earlier," she said.
For CPI member Annie Raja, "it was a black day for
democracy".
"Twenty-five people managed to hold Parliament to
ransom. It is saddening to see the way Rajya Sabha Chairman
was attacked," she said.
"The government, it appears, was not serious about the
bill. The Yadavs had told the government they will take all
actions to stall the Bill. Still, the government did not do
any homework," Raja alleged.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 08, 2010, 22:15