Voting on the Women?s Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha was deferred on Friday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh likely to call an all-party meeting on the issue on Tuesday after the SP and RJD threatened to withdraw support to the UPA government.
The Constitution amendment Bill for reserving one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies was tabled in the Rajya Sabha amidst unruly scenes with opponents from the SP, RJD and an expelled JD(U) member tearing copies of the Bill and nearly attacking chairman Hamid Ansari. After five adjournments, the House was adjourned for the day at 6 pm without the Bill being taken up. Staunch opponents SP and RJD sent ominous signals to the government that has important money Bills and Budgets to adopt. This was followed by hectic consultations between the Prime Minister and his senior Cabinet colleagues and with leaders of the supporters of the Bill?BJP and Left parties?and with the opponents, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad, and with BSP?s Satish Chandra Mishra separately. The leaders opposing the Bill made it clear to the Prime Minister that their parties would vote against it in its present form since it was without quota for women belonging to OBCs and Muslims and that there was no change. SP and RJD members created unruly scenes since morning, forcing repeated adjournments of the House but the government, banking on support from the BJP and Left, appeared determined to get the Bill passed on the International Women?s Day today irrespective of what the opponents did.
After two adjournments since the House met for the day, when the Rajya Sabha re-assembled for the third time at 2 pm, law minister Veerappa Moily moved the Bill for consideration, triggering unprecedented scenes.
Nand Kishore Yadav and Kamal Akhtar of SP led the combined offensive of his party and RJD. Yadav tried to attack the chairman by attempting to climb on to the podium. He uprooted the mike and threw the stationery placed on Ansari?s table even as some other members were seen threatening to reach Ansari?s podium. The security attendants immediately swung into action and shielded Ansari to prevent the agitated members from climbing on the table. Akhtar, meanwhile, climbed the table of the Rajya Sabha reporters in front of the chairman, chanting slogans against the Bill, while some members, including RJD?s Rajniti Prasad, tore the copy of the Bill and threw pieces towards the chair. Within minutes, Ansari adjourned the House till 3 pm.
Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav led their slogan-shouting members into the well each time the House was called to order. Lok Sabha saw three adjournments on the same issue before the chair called it a day as members opposed to the Bill remained unrelenting.