PM gets his quota of women ire over Bill

PM gets his quota of women ire over Bill
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Dec 21: The controversial Women's Reservation Bill was today stonewalled in Parliament amid pandemonium with SP, BSP and RJD members demanding its withdrawal, forcing adjournment of Lok Sabha for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee faced the wrath of women members from Congress, Left Front and BJP allies including TDP, who gheraoed him to protest against the delay in bringing forward the Bill in the House.

Women members went on the offensive after the House had adjourned for two hours over the issue amid uproarious scenes.

In the Lok Sabha, SP, BSP and RJD members stormed the well shouting slogans "mahila bill wapas lo" (withdraw the women's bill).

In the melee, women members from Congress and BJP, who had moved to the front benches, were seen raising slogans "Mahila bill lagoo karo" (implement the women's bill).

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, sitting with senior ministers in the front row, was seen raising slogans in support of the Bill.

With only a day to go before the winter break, Speaker G M C Balayogi rushed through with the listed business, asking ministers and members to lay the papers against their names.

He called out Environment and Forest Minister T R Baalu to respond to a calling attention motion and allowed tabling of special mentions.

Vajpayee and leader of Opposition Sonia Gandhi were present in Lok Sabha when the Speaker adjourned the House for the day after his repeated plea to restore order went unheeded.

The 85th Constitution (Amendment) Bill, seeking to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was listed for consideration and passage in today's agenda.

The Bill was re-introduced in the 13th Lok Sabha on December 23, 1999 as it lapsed on dissolution of the 12th Lok Sabha.

Shortly before the House met, an all-party meeting convened by Balayogi failed to arrive at a consensus on the reservation issue.