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Women Reservation Bill meets the same fate again
New Delhi, May 06: Bowing to pressure from Opposition as well as three key NDA allies, government today agreed to defer consideration of the controversial Women`s Reservation Bill `for the time being` in Lok Sabha as an all-party meeting on the issue failed to reach unanimity.
Joshi told the agitated members that the all-party meeting convened by him after the house was adjourned for two hours failed to evolve unanimity and it was decided that another meeting be called to discuss the matter.
The consideration of the Bill has been "deferred for the time being", Joshi said amid thumping of desks by all those opposing the bill including members from Samata Party, Janata Dal (U) and Shiv Sena, all allies of the ruling NDA.
The Speaker said he had held a meeting of leaders of political parties to explore the possibility of finding some unanimity. As no unanimity could be reached at that meeting, it was decided that another meeting be called.
A day after the government decided to bring forward the controversial bill following assurance of support from Congress and CPI-M, it was forced to agree to shelve it in the face of stiff opposition.
Taking a strong stand against the bill in its present form, Samajwadi Party and RJD members repeatedly stormed the well and clashed with those from Congress, forcing adjournment of the House for two hours in the pre-lunch session.
They warned that the Bill in its present form would never be acceptable to them and demanded reservation for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and OBCs.
At one stage, Samajwadi Party took serious exception to Congress deputy leader Shivraj Patil`s remark that his party was committed to protect the interests of weaker sections in every field, charging congress with adopting double standard by joining hands with BJP to get the bill passed.
Protesting the remark, the Samajwadi Party members menacingly moved towards the Congress benches and had heated exchanges with Patil. Sensing trouble, the Speaker adjourned the House till 1400 hours.
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav said his party
was not opposed to reservation for women but wanted the Bill,
introduced in the House in 1999, to provide reservation to
women belonging to families of farmers, labourers and
minorities and other backward classes.
The government`s move to insert the clause of rotation of
seats was fraught with dangerous consequences and would lead
to snapping of crucial ties between the electorate and their
representatives, Yadav said.
Supporting Samajwadi Party, RJD leader Raghuvansh Prasad
Singh accused the government of conspiring with Congress to
deprive women from weaker sections from participating in the
decision-making process.
Shiv Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire, Samata Party member
Prabhunath Singh and JD(U) leader Devendra Prasad Yadav said
the NDA partners were not taken into confidence before
deciding to bring forward the proposed legislation.
Khaire said the issue of reservation should be left to
parties to decide as suggested by his leader Balasaheb
Thackeray.
Echoing similar sentiments, Prabhunath Singh and D P
Yadav said the Bill should not be passed in a haste and urged
the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to withdraw
it.
Singh claimed 25 to 30 BJP MPs as well as some in the
Congress party were strongly opposed to the present form of
the Bill and wanted their views to be conveyed to the BJP
leadership through him.
Bureau Report