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Women's Bill deferred till Vajpayee completes fresh peace talks

The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government has dropped the move to introduce the controversial Women's Reservation Bill next week.

Thus, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madanlal Khurana is understood to have informed Speaker G M C Balayogi that Vajpayee would initiate one-to-one talks with the floor leaders of opposition parties in yet another bid to reach a consensus.

The Bill, he said, would be deferred till, at the latest, the exercise is completed.

After the furore in the House when the government tried to introduce it -- Speaker G M C Balayogi had to adjourn the proceedings no less than five times -- on Monday, the Bill was scheduled to be taken up next week.

Sources said the government developed cold feet in view of the widespread demand for reservation to other backward classes and minorities.

Vajpayee had a meeting with Sharad Pawar Friday afternoon, but Pawar maintained that the Bill did not come up for discussion.

Meanwhile, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, a major constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, struck a discordant note, demanding reservation for backward classes and minorities within the 33 per cent reservation for the fair sex in the Bill.

The BJP has categorically stated that it is against reservation for minorities. But AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha Jayaram demanded the Bill be introduced and adopted after amending it to provide for section-wise quota within the 33 per cent reservation.

Stating that the speaker's decision to defer the introduction of the Bill caused concern, she urged the prime minister to immediately convene an all party meeting to work towards a consensus.

The amended Bill, she is of the view, should be introduced in the current session itself.

Thus, with this, the ruling partner has joined the Opposition bandwagon, that of Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Prasad Yadav and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, both of whom had made similar demands.

Incidentally, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had suggested the Bill be introduced in the present form. Amendments suggested by the Opposition could be considered at a later stage, he said.

UNI

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