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Women's bill to be tabled in ongoing session: Advani

Responding to persistent questioning by agitated women members of the Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Lal Kishinchand Advani said the government was committed to the early passage of the bill.

Leader of the Opposition Dr Manmohan Singh said Congress would support the bill. Similar assurances were given by S R Bommai on behalf of the Janata Dal, Gurudas Dasgupta on behalf of the CPI, and Dr Biplab Das Gupta for the CPM.

The women members took up the demand as soon as the House took up zero hour submissions, and their demand for a categorical assurance was backed by several male members of the Upper House. Leader of the House Sikander Bakht made an abortive bid to pacify the members, before Advani came to the rescue.

Intervening, Advani informed the House that Parliamentary Affairs Minister Madan Lal Khurana had already informed leaders of Opposition parties that the reservation bill would become part of the legislative business to be taken up after the financial business was concluded. The prime minister too had discussed the bill with Opposition leaders, Advani pointed out.

The home minister said that all this backstage negotiation was necessitated by the fact that the women's reservation bill, being an amendment to the Constitution, required no less than a two-thirds majority in both Houses to pass. He said the government was not prepared to risk introducing such an important bill only for it to be defeated for want of requisite numbers.

It was at this point that the various Opposition members pledged the support of their parties.

UNI

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