SP wanted to ‘snatch, tear it’ but women’s quota Bill is in

Even before Bhardwaj could rise, SP MP Abu Azmi rushed towards him in an apparent attempt to snatch the copy of the Bill from the Minister. Another SP MP hurled pieces of torn paper into the well of the House. Azmi later told The Indian Express that his intention was to “snatch and tear the copy of the Bill”.

As Azmi made his move, Women and Child Development Minister Renuka Chowdhury, assisted by Rajeev Shukla and some other Congress MPs, tried to block him physically and cordon off Bhardwaj.

The commotion that followed saw MPs from treasury benches trying to form a security ring around Bhardwaj, pushing and shoving MPs from Opposition benches. Bhardwaj finally got up and introduced the Bill. The House was adjourned immediately thereafter. Bhardwaj was later seen talking to Azmi and other SP MPs, including Amar Singh and Shahid Siddiqui.

The Congress moved a breach of privilege notice against Azmi for allegedly pushing and manhandling its members, including women. Congress member Jayanthi Natarajan moved a privilege motion under Rule 187, complaining about Azmi’s “unprecedented, unwarranted and condemnable behaviour.”

Emerging out of Parliament House, Azmi said “the government was trying to fool the people of the country by introducing the Bill on the last day of the session, and that too in Rajya Sabha”.

Admitting that he “wanted to stop the Bill from being tabled”, Azmi said: “This is no way to present a Bill. We are not anti-women but a discussion was needed before introducing this Bill. In its current form, it will only pave the way for wives of senior government bureaucrats to avail benefits of such a legislation. We will not let this Bill get passed till women belonging to OBC, Muslim and Dalit categories are included. Even if it is passed, our protests will continue.”

Lalu Prasad Yadav’ RJD expressed reservations on the Bill, saying it will “promote inequalities” in society. “This Bill is not only against the principle of equality of opportunity but it is against the very spirit of the Constitution,” said RJD MP Rajniti Prasad.

Saying that RJD had never been against women reservation, Prasad said that the kind of reservation envisaged through this Bill would only accommodate the influential section of the society and will not do any good to SC, ST, OBC women. “How will this Bill help those housewives who wish to engage in public service but don’t get the opportunity?” he asked.

Renuka Chowdhury said: “I am not surprised by what has happened in the House today. This is the kind of treatment women face at all steps in life, be it domestic violence or sexual harassment at workplaces. We are not going to get intimidated at any cost. Hamari kamar aur mazboot ho gayi hai. Hum bhi dekhenge (this has only strengthened our resolve). It would have been much nicer if the men had been gentlemen and had let the Bill be introduced with grace”.

Chowdhury’s views were echoed by BJP MP Najma Heptulla who said “there had never been any smooth sailing for women” and that “a handful of people were holding the House to ransom”.

“The argument of including backward and minority category of women under this reservation is nothing but a farce,” Heptulla said.

Calling it a landmark step, Bhardwaj said “once this becomes a law, India will be the first country in the world to have such a legislation” in place. Asked about demands to have quotas within quota, he said “all things and issues will be discussed and deliberated upon once the discussion on the Bill takes place”.

Maintaining that the government will try to get the Bill passed as fast as possible, Bhardwaj said: “We have an open mind on constructive debate.” Told that some constituents of the UPA were against the move, he said the Cabinet had “unanimously cleared the Bill” when it met last night.