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After the fiasco over the bill, comes the buck-passing

The Congress today made it clear that it wanted the Women's Reservation Bill be passed in the current session of Parliament, and it should ensure welfare of the minorities, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

Party spokepersons Girija Vyas and Ajit Jogi told reporters that the party would extend full support to the Speaker's efforts to evolve a consensus on the bill.

They also said there was "no change in the party's stand and there was absolutely no contradiction".

The Congress Parliamentary Party met this morning for about two hours and discussed the issue threadbare. About 30 members expressed their views in a free and fair manner as desired by CPP chairperson Sonia Gandhi who presided over the meeting held at the AICC office.

They said the bill should be passed in the current session of Parliament and the postponement for a few days should not be taken as an excuse.

Those who spoke at the CPP meeting included Sharad Pawar, K Karunakaran, Rajesh Pilot, Dr Najma Heptulla, H R Bhardwaj, P Shiv Shanker, P Upendra, Shivraj Patil, C K Jaffer Sharief, Janardan Poojary, Ranganath Mishra, R L Jalappa, Sitaram Kesri, K S Rao, Urmilaben Patel and Prabha Thakur.

They said the ball was now in the government's court. The party would extend all help to evolve a consensus on the issue.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has regretted the change in stance by some political parties, including the Congress, in regard to the women's bill providing for reservation of women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Talking to newspersons, party general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu said some political parties which, till yesterday, were insisting even amid pandemonium in the Lok Sabha that the bill be introduced, were talking in different voices today.

He, however, made it clear that the BJP "has been in favour of the bill, is in favour of it and will be in its favour''. There is no change in its stand.

From the government's side the bill had been moved. It was now up to the speaker when it was discussed in the House.

UNI

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