India: Unruly opponents stall Women’s quota Bill in Parliament

The Congress hopes of getting the landmark Bill on 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and legislatures on International Women’s Day, did not materialize on Monday. The opposing parties, the Samajwadi party and Rashtriya Janata Dal, later announced they are withdrawing support to the Manmohan Singh –led UPA government.

Constant uproar, unruly behaviour in House including snatching of papers from the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha as well as raising of slogans by a section of opposition led to Parliament being adjourned for the day.

The voting on the bill in the Rajya Sabha could not take place. Manmohan Singh discussed the floor strategy with key UPA allies, including NCP’s Sharad Pawar and DMK’s T R Baalu. The Lok Sabha was adjourned till tomorrow while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the fifth time in the day.

Earlier, the Women's Reservation Bill was moved for consideration in the Rajya Sabha amidst unprecedented scenes of pandemonium with members of the SP, BSP and the RJD trying to attack Chairman Hamid Ansari. While some members, including RJD's Rajniti Prasad, tore the copy of the Bill, Kamal Akhtar and Nand Kishore Yadav of the SP and some others tried to reach the Chair raising slogans against the bill.

The SP and RJD members tried to uproot the mike on the table of the Chairman and threw the stationery placed on it. The security attendants immediately swung into action and shielded the Chairman to prevent the agitated members from climbing on the table. The unprecedented scenes was witnessed as soon as Law minister M Veerappa Moily moved for consideration of the Bill which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Meanwhile, when the Lok Sabha, which was earlier adjourned twice on the same issue, reassembled at 2pm, members of these parties led by RJD chief Lalu Prasad, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, stormed the well shouting slogans.

As the slogan-shouting continued, Trinamool Congress members including its chief and railway minister Mamata Banerjee, were seen singing the famous song -- "We shall overcome some day". Other Trinamool members, including minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi, chief whip Sudip Bandopadhyay and cine-star turned MP Shatabdi Roy, were heard singing the song in the House. Deputy Speaker Karia Munda then adjourned the House.

SP, BSP and RJD members strongly opposed the Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, with one of them even trying to climb the Speaker's podium, leading to adjournment of the House for the second time. The bill, created storm in the Lok Sabha soon after Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed a Croatian delegation and read out a reference on International Women's Day.

The moment Meira Kumar called for Question Hour, SP, BSP and RJD members trooped into the Well demanding quotas for OBC, Dalit and Muslim women within the proposed law to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State assemblies for the fair sex.

The Speaker refused to adjourn the House and carried on with the Question Hour. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gestured his party members to move forward and himself marched to the Well from the side of the treasury benches. Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) and Lalu Prasad and Umashanker Singh (both RJD) followed Yadav. Mithilesh Kumar (SP) tried to climb the table placed in front of the Speaker prompting Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to request Yadav to control his members. On the SP chief's directive, the members retreated a bit but stayed put in the Well and continued to raise slogans.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari read out a message on the international Women's Day saying that among others "women have to be included in the decision making process".

In another ominous pointer to the government’s problems, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday criticised the government for "not having a strategy" for its passage and indicated that it will not vote on the measure if it was held without a debate. "The government should have a roadmap and strategy for passing such an important bill. We are not in favour of passing such a vital bill without a discussion. It (a discussion) is a requirement for a Constitutional Amendment as the basic structure of the Constitution will change," Deputy Leader of BJP in Rajya Sabha S S Ahluwalia said. He maintained that unlike an ordinary legislation, a constitutional amendment requires discussion and division of votes.

With the BJP and Left parties extending support to the quota bill, the government sees no hurdles in getting it passed.

Two supporting regional allies withdraw backing to govt

The Government is likely to decide whether to go ahead with the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets the Yadav trio, the opponents of the bill, Tuesday morning. A decision about the Bill, voting on which was deferred in the Rajya Sabha following pandemonium, would be taken after the parleys, Congress sources said.

SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD chief Lalu Prasad and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav will meet Manmohan Singh in Parliament House ahead of the day's business which commences at 11 am.

The three leaders have been complaining about the government not consulting them over the constitution amendment bill. They want a political consensus and have warned of dire consequences if it is bulldozed in Parliament. The strategy in this regard was finalised by the Congress top leaders including the Prime Minister and Congress President Sonia Gandhi at a meeting of the party's Core Group on Monday night. The meeting was attended among others by Pranab Mukherjee, A K Antony, P Chidambaram and Political Secretary to Congress President Ahmed Patel.

Following up on their threat to withdraw support, RJD chief Lalu Prasad along with party leader Prem Chandra Gupta met President Pratibha Patil and apprised her of his party's position on the bill.

As was expected widely, two regional allies of the ruling UPA government—Mulayam Singh-led Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal on Monday decided to withdraw support to the UPA government after earlier disrupting the proceedings in both House of Parliament demanding quotas for Dalits, backward classes and Muslims within the Women’s Reservation Bill. Both parties disrupted Question Hour in Rajya Sabha over non-implementation of Ranganath Misra Commission report on minority welfare, leading to adjournment of the House.

With the BJP and Left parties besides some regional parties backing the Bill, it will have no difficulty in getting passed.

- Asian Tribune -