Voting on women’s bill deferred,unruly scenes in RS

After five adjournments,the House was adjourned for the day at 1800 hours without the bill being taken up despite the government having the numbers to carry the legislation through.

But the staunch opponents-SP and RJD which has 25 MPs in the Lok Sabha sent ominous signals to the government that has important money bills and Budgets to adopt in the Lower House that its majority may be made wafer-thin,just above the half-way mark of 272,if the BSP,which too is opposed to the legislation,also withdraws support.

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 together 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 without quota for women belonging to OBCs and Muslims and that there was no no change.

Though nothing was officially said by the government the leaders came with the impression that the Prime Minister would call an all-party meeting tomorrow,a demand made by the opponents,apparently to discuss a way out for adopting the legislation in a harmonious way.

The opponents of the Bill as also the BJP asserted that the measure should be discussed and voted and cannot be hustled through in uproar,though the Left parties appeared to favour passage without discussion.

After the meeting with the Prime Minister,Lalu Prasad said the opponents could reconsider their views on withdrawal of support if the government brought amendments to the Bill.

Short of a blame game,the BJP and the Left parties said the government should have had a proper strategy to ensure passage of the bill while the Congress attacked the opponents of resorting to disruptive methods which he called as ‘shame’ in a democracy.

Earlier at 1400 hours after two adjourments,the bill reserving one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and Assemblies was moved in the Rajya Sabha for consideration by Law Minister M Veerappa Moily amid unprecedented pandemonium. SP and RJD members created unruly scenes since morning,forcing repeated adjournments of the House but the government,banking on the support from BJP and the Left,appeared determined to push through with the bill on the centenary of the International Women’s Day.

Nand Kishore Yadav and Kamal Akhtar of SP led the combined offensive of his party and RJD. Yadav virtually tried to get physical with the Chairman by attempting to climb on to the podium.

Yadav 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. House security personnel immediately swung into action and shielded the Chairman 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 1500 hours. After the House was adjourned,engineers immediately fixed the mike. Apparently fearing repeat of such scenes,the Rajya Sabha staff cleared the tables of the Secretary General as also the House Reporters of items like pen sets and paper weights.

After Law Minister moved the bill for consideration of the House,Ansari adjourned the House as the opponents tried to wrench the mikes in front of him and to grab anything that was on his table. The day was marked by repeated adjournment of Rajya Sabha,which saw little chance of orderly business and voting on the bill that has been stoutly opposed by parties like SP,RJD,BSP and sections within JD (U). An electronic watch kept on the Secretary General’s table was also removed.

Before the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 1500 hours,marshals were brought into the House and lined up on the two flanks of the Chairman’s table. P J Kurien,one of the members on the panel of vice- chairmen,occupied the Chair only to announce adjournment of the House till 1600 hours. He again adjourned the House till 6 PM when it reassembled.

Significantly,a number of women members of the Lok Sabha were present in the visitor’s gallery of the Rajya Sabha to witness the proceedings. They included Deepa Dasmunshi,Girja Vyas,Supriya Sule and Meenakshi Natarajan.