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Women's bill introduced in LS amidst chaos

After much uncertainty and having generated a lot of steam the controversial Women's Reservation bill was finally introduced in the Lok Sabha today.

There was a lot of chaos following its introduction. Its opponents, in a farcical gesture, even snatched a copy of the bill from the hands of Law Minister Ram Jethmalani. The House has been adjourned.

Earlier, soon after question hour today the Lok Sabha was adjourned till the lunch hour. This followed noisy protests by agitated Opposition members belonging to the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal who trooped into the well of the House.

They were opposing the government's move to introduce the Women's Reservation bill during the course of the day.

The members belonging to the BSP joined the protest against the bill for the first time today, joining hands with the SP members of Parliament. Both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati were leading the protests.

While in the well, they shouted slogans describing the government as anti-dalit, anti-other backward castes and anti-minorities. Speaker G M C Balayogi attempted to take up the calling attention motion but could not succeed because of the din.

The Speaker repeatedly told the members in the well that the House was taking up only a calling attention motion and not the women's bill which they were opposing.

The members, however, continued their slogan shouting. Meanwhile, members belonging to the Telugu Desam Party, led by K Yerran Naidu, and the Trinamul Congress, including some women members, raised counter slogans in support of the women's bill. As the noisy scenes reached a crescendo, Balayogi adjourned the House.

UNI

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