New Delhi, March 11: The BJP leadership was virtually taken to task on Thursday with party MPs openly objecting to the Women’s Reservation Bill in its present form. The chairman of the BJP parliamentary party, Mr L.K. Advani, and the Leader of the Opposition in
the Lok Sabha, Ms Sushma Swaraj, urged the angry members “not to air their grievances in public”, and Ms Swaraj later claimed that there were “no differences ... and all MPs will vote for the bill when the need arises.”
Sources, however, said the party leadership had been clearly told by angry Lok Sabha MPs that no final decision on the bill “can be taken before consulting them”. They also demanded that their party leaders seek a commitment from the government that “under no circumstances should marshals be called inside the Lok Sabha”. The MPs also want the BJP to support the women’s bill in the Lok Sabha only after a “consensus was reached at an all-party meeting”.
Several MPs, including Sahtrughan Sinha, Shahnawz Hussain, Yogi Adityanath, Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav and Maneka Gandhi, had been upset with the party for “not consulting them” before taking a decision on the bill. A meeting of party MPs was held at Mr Advani’s residence here on Thursday. It is learnt that the BJP leadership intends to issue a whip to ensure that its fuming members toe the party line when the bill comes up for a vote in the Lok Sabha.
As the meeting began at around 5 pm, the MPs became vocal in expressing their unhappiness over the way the leadership had handled the issue. Bhagalpur MP Shahnawaz Hussain opposed the rotation process in the bill, claiming legislators would not get time to “develop their constituencies”. Ms Maneka Gandhi said the bill “would only benefit wives and relatives of powerful politicians... and not reach ordinary women.”
It was also pointed out by several MPs that the UPA and its chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who had “walked away with the entire credit” for passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha. Mr Shatrughan Sinha, who claimed “the bill in its present form lacked proper homework ... and cannot be allowed at the cost of men”, also opposed the rotation process in the legislation.
The MPs also attacked their party leadership for “virtually bailing out the UPA in the Rajya Sabha”, saying it made the BJP “look like the Congress’ B-team.” Yogi Adityanath, who adopted a similar line, wanted “complete unanimity on the bill, including (with) the RJD and Samajwadi Party.”
Mr Hukumdeo Yadav favoured the “quota within quota” formula suggested by the SP and RJD. He felt the identity of a woman “is more due to her caste ... and not because she was a woman.” This, however, was objected to by Ms Maneka Gandhi.
Age Corrrespondent
