Two days after celebrating the Rajya Sabha victory, the UPA said on Thursday that it would keep the Women?s Reservation Bill on hold pending consultations with ?all concerned.? The Bill awaits consideration by the Lok Sabha after having been voted by the Elders.
Sources in the government insisted that the Bill had been held back only for now. They said the government had bought time to facilitate the passage of urgent financial business in the Lok Sabha to avoid a crisis after March 31 and also to try and assuage the angry Yadav trio. Leaders in the Congress argued that the BJP is trying to widen the gulf between the ruling alliance and SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav. The BJP?s plan is, they say, to ?create difficulties? for the government later.
Besides giving an assurance to the Yadav troika?including JD(U)?s Sharad Yadav?that the government would bring the Bill after ?consulting? all concerned, the government relented on the issue of suspension of seven Rajya Sabha members too. According to sources, efforts were on to persuade the MPs to apologise to the Chair so that action against them could be revoked.
Meanwhile, the BJP undertook a major fire-fighting exercise to check unrest by convening a meeting of the parliamentary party at the residence of LK Advani. On Wednesday, as reported in The Indian Express, its chief whip in the Lok Sabha had claimed that 70% of MPs were opposed to the Bill.
Normalcy returned to the Lok Sabha minutes after finance minister Pranab Mukherjee reached an understanding with Mulayam, Sharad Yadav and Lalu. Mukherjee told the House: ?I would like to inform members that it has been agreed to conduct smooth business of the House for the remaining period…The government will complete the process of consultations with all concerned…I think this assurance would assuage the feelings of all members and business would be conducted smoothly.? Sources said the ?all concerned? would include not just parties, but also civil society, minority and OBC organisations. Sources said the compromise was brokered by railways minister leader Mamata Banerjee.She was present at the meeting between Mukherjee and the three Yadavs.
The first phase of the Budget session ends on March 16 with Parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal indicating that talks with ?all concerned? were unlikely in the next few days. The second phase of the Budget session is from April 12 to May 7.