New Delhi, June 19: Charging the government with
"double standards and abdication of their political
responsibility" on Women's Reservation Bill, women
organisations have said they will begin a signature campaign among the MPs to endorse the demand for voting on the bill in the coming monsoon session of the Parliament.
"If the BJP as the largest single party in Parliament
stands by its pledge for the passage of the bill, then such a
two-thirds support is gauranteed. We, therefore, reiterate our
demand to put the bill to vote in the monsoon session," the
organisations said in a statement here today.
Criticising parliamentary affairs minister Sushma Swaraj
for her statement that the government would not bring the bill
in Parliament for a vote until there was "agreement among all the political parties, they said "the bill has been stalled
for six years in the name of a consensus even though it has
passed through a joint select committee of Parliament.
"The Speaker and the Union minister have now shifted the
conditions from consensus to unanimity. This is
unconstitutional and has implications for democratic
processes. Are we then to accept that the will of majority is
no longer the basis for parliamentary functioning as laid out
in the Constitution of India?
"The double standards being applied for the Women's
Reservation Bill show the abdication of political
responsibility on behalf of the government," the statement,
signed by heads of various organisations including Suman
Krishan Kant (Mahila Dakshita Samiti), Mohini Giri (guild of
service), Brinda Karat (AIDWA) and Vina Majumdar (CWDS), said.
Bureau Report
