New Delhi: LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan
on Saturday suggested that the Lok Sabha seats should be increased
by a third so that women belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority
can be provided with adequate reservation.
"The Lok Sabha seats should be increased by one-third
and women from SC, ST OBC and minority including Muslims be
given adequate reservation from the additional seats... the
population of the country has increased to 120 crore from 45
crore since independence," Paswan told reporters here.
He made it clear that his party supports the 'quota
within quota' demand but was against the Women's Reservation
Bill in its present form.
"If the bill has to be passed in Lok Sabha, this (one
third increase in total seats of LS) is the solution. If you
say one third of the 543 seats will be reserved for women,
what will male members do? Their seats will be taken up by the
woman," he said.
Paswan said it's a "progressive step" to provide
reservation for women and the government was making efforts to
end gender discrimination but the bill, which has been passed
in the Rajya Sabha, has several "loopholes".
PTI
First Published: Saturday, March 13, 2010, 20:54