The Bharatiya Janata Party said on Friday that it did not favour quota for dalits, other backward classes and minorities within the proposed reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures.
"The party is not in favour of quota within quota. I am not saying this in my personal capacity but as the BJP spokesperson," Sushma Swaraj told reporters in New Delhi, when asked about party leader Uma Bharti's statement favouring reservation within the proposed reservation.
Consensus eludes Women's Reservation Bill
"Many members of Parliament may have different views on many legislations but in a Parliamentary democracy, there is a whip system and once the whip is issued, everyone will vote accordingly," she said, adding that even the government had stated that even if the Bill providing for quota within quota is passed, the Supreme Court will declare it null and void.
Bharti had last week met party president L K Advani and submitted a memorandum demanding a discussion on the issue within the party.
She had dismissed as "personal views," Swaraj's earlier assertion that the party was not in favour of quota within quota.
PM confident of support for Women's Reservation bill
Taking strong exception to Congress President Sonia Gandhi's charge at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting on Thursday that BJP had changed its stand on the women's reservation Bill, Swaraj said, "there cannot be a greater untruth. We had extended our support to any consensus they evolve among their allies and supporting parties. She is trying to hide her failure to evolve a consensus by blaming BJP."
Women's quota Bill faces hurdles
Swaraj challenged Gandhi to get the original Bill passed even by the Cabinet and said, "while our Bill was torn by MPs, theirs will be done by ministers".
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