We will pass Women's Bill with BJP support: PC

 
“BJP deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj made a statement in Parliament that her party would fully support the bill. So we are confident the bill will be passed,” he told reporters here.

“The Parliamentary Affairs Minister has stated there is no dilution in the bill,” he said when asked to comment on some political parties, including JD(U), RJD and SP, opposing the bill in its present form.

Lankan issue

Meanwhile, Chidambaram said India is hopeful that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa would fulfil his promise to rehabilitate displaced Tamils and grant equal rights to the minority community.

“We will continue to pressure Rajapakasa to honour his promises. Our aim is to ensure that the Sri Lankan Tamils get equal rights,” he said when asked about concerns over the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils being expressed by some parties in Tamil Nadu.

Chidambaram, who was felicitated at the TNCC headquarters here on his success in the Lok Sabha elections, said the UPA government’s main aim was to see that Lankan Tamils were rehabilitated and make sure that they get equal rights in all aspects.

On the country’s internal security, he said it was facing many challenges. “The first one is terrorism, the second is extremism and third challenge is separatism in North East,” he said.

Chidambaram said the centre would adopt a “zero tolerance” policy towards terrorism.
Asked whether poverty was the root cause of naxalism, Chidambaram said: “I don’t agree with this argument because poverty exists everywhere.”

He said the coming Railway and the General Budgets would take the country on the path of progress.

To a question on remarks by PMK founder S Ramadoss that alleged manipulation of EVMs led to PMK’s rout in Lok Sabha polls, Chidambaram said “if this was true, PMK should accept that it had won the four seats in 2004 poll in the same manner”.

Earlier speaking at the function, Chidambaram urged the party cadres to work hard to enable the Congress to perform well in the 2011 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu.