JOIN USLalu sounds 'war' bugle over women's Bill
The two regional party satraps made their intentions clear even as UPA sources told Deccan Herald that some parties opposed to the Bill were seeking a trade-off with the government on the issue.
They want the government not to take up the Bill while they would not vote against the government on oil price hike. It is highly unlikely that the government will accept the position of the anti-Bill parties.
The government has announced that it will take up the Bill for consideration in the Rajya Sabha on March 8, the International Women’s Day, which also marks its centenary.
The Constitution Amendment Bill is being brought in its present form which envisages 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies.
Lalu Prasad made his intentions clear during his speech in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to the President’s speech.
He decalred: “Yuddh hoga” (There will be war). His warning came even as SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav announced that his party would oppose tooth and nail the women’s reservation Bill and spoke about “uproar” in Parliament. “At the most whata you can do is to throw us out (of the House) and cancel our membership”, Yadav said giving ample hint that those opposed to the measure in its present form would not take lying down attempts to pass it without amendments.
Mulayam’s stand
“The condition of Muslims is worse than that of the SCs and STs and they (the government) are more worried about the women’s reservation Bill,” Yadav claimed.
The SP and RJD are opposed to the Bill in its present form and want a quota within quota for women from backward classes.
Lalu Prasad had last week alleged that the government plans to bring the Bill to divide the opposition which has been united on the issue of price rise and fuel price hike.
Talking to media, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal suggested that the measure could be passed if the Congress, BJP and the Left joined hands for the purpose. He replied in the negative when asked whether Government has started talks with Mulayam Singh and Lalu Prasad on the issue.
The government is banking on the support of BJP and Left parties to see the Bill through in the both the Houses of Parliament.