NEW DELHI, May 21: Differences within the United Front over the Women's Reservation Bill sharpened further today with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) also voicing the demand for providing quotas to women of backward classes and minorities within the proposed 33 per cent reservation and the Communist Party of India (CPI) rejecting demands for a conscience vote on the measure.

The executive of the DMK, a major constituent of the United Front, which met at Chennai today, passed a resolution appealing to the Centre to ensure passage of the Bill immediately providing ``suitable reservations'' for women belonging to backward classes and minorities within the 33 per cent reservation.

CPI's national council member, D Raja, said the demand for conscience voting on the Bill would amount to diluting the commitment of political parties to women's reservation and ``double speak'' on the issue.

He said the Bill should be passed in its present form in the next session of parliament and the left parties would raise the issue during the next meeting of the United Front steering committee this weekend. Meanwhile, BJP president, L K Advani, said in Hubli that the BJP would not propose any amendment to the Bill moved in Lok Sabha last week.

This assumes significance in the wake of his party MP, Uma Bharti, demanding yesterday that the reservation should include quotas for women belonging to backward classes. Asked about her comments, Advani said, ``The person, who had differences on the issue, has already made a statement that she will accept the party's view.'' In Jaipur, Bharti today demanded a special seven-day session of Lok Sabha to discuss exclusively the Women's Reservation Bill.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.