NEW DELHI: Leaders across the
political spectrum will meet on Monday to discuss the women's reservation bill
as the ruling UPA once more tries to resolve the deadlock ahead of Parliament
reconvening on April 15.
Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will meet leaders of various parties to
discuss the issue, a commitment he gave in Lok Sabha in the wake of non-stop
protests by OBC outfits.
The protests saw the government indicate that it would not push the bill in the
budget session in the face of opposition from the Yadav troika. Sources said
there was little likelihood of the Centre taking up the bill in this session and
the all-party meeting seems more to show that Congress stays engaged on the
issue.
The controversy erupted when the Yadav trio of Mulayam Singh, Lalu and Sharad
and some Muslim leaders came out against the proposed quota, saying that it
would harm the interests of their constituents.
Their protest ran into a wall of resistance from Congress leadership which saw
to it that marshals ensured order in Rajya Sabha to let the bill be considered
for voting.
Since then, however, the government has relented. The howls of protests from OBC
outfits, suggesting they could go to any length in their opposition, saw
Congress managers indicate they were ready to go slow. Senior leaders said the
finance bill was the main concern in the budget session. It was felt that
bitterness over women's bill would burn Congress's bridges with RJD, SP and BSP,
ending chances of floor coordination in future. Without them, UPA's numbers
would stand on the border of the majority mark.
While it may not put the government in danger, it would remove the buffer it
enjoys and require the government to be vigilant in every small or big
contingency.
Ahead of the meeting, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari urged the opposition to
give up its resistance.
"We hope that given the profound social transformation which progressive
legislations have brought about across the globe, opponents of the quota bill
will learn from history and not stand in the way of further evolution of Indian
democracy," he said.
The quota opponents are not softening their tone though. SP spokesman Mohan
Singh said the Centre was bent on pushing the bill in the coming session and has
reached an understanding with BJP which has assured that it will not put the
finance bill in danger. "BJP's fear now is against the Muslim quota which is on
the Centre's table," he said.
PM Manmohan Singh said this week it was too premature to talk about dilution of
women's quota. The protesting parties have suggested that the quantum be brought
down from 33%.
Alternatively, it wants the quota to be left to parties to implement instead of
designating women's constituencies in assembly and Lok Sabha.
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