Women's quota Bill moved

The controversial Bill stipulating 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies was moved for consideration in the Lok Sabha on Friday, almost a year after the United Front government made a promise in this regard.

After a stormy discussion, the bill was amended by the joint select committee headed by Geeta Mukherjee and approved by the cabinet on Friday. It was moved by Law Minister Ramakant D Khalap minutes before the House adjoured sine die.

The Bill was moved for discussion after Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma said the rules were clear that no member could be prevented from moving a motion.

Earlier, members of various parties on Friday shouted down Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral from moving the Constitution amendment Bill in this regard.

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Janata Dal, the Muslim League, the Samta Party opposed the move, most vociferous being JD working president Sharad Yadav. The Congress benches, though, remains quiet.

The is was preceded by half an hour of pandemonium in the House after which Speaker Sangma said he was moving over to other matters.

There was division in most parties on the issue, and the prime minister was prevented by his own partymen from piloting the Bill.

Sharad Yadav's sharp remarks made Sangma comment that he had gone too far but ''I have enough patience.'' Sangma said he had been told by the government that a consensus had been evolved after an all party meeting and thus the Bill was being brought forth.

Nitish Kumar (Samta Party) and Gangacharan Rajput (BJP) also opposed the bill. But Sushma Swaraj (BJP) wanted the Bill taken up.

G M Banatwala (Muslim League) opposed the move on the grounds that already the number of Muslim members was decreasing in the House. He pointed out that he had opposed the move all along.

Most members who opposed the Bill, described it as a ''political gimmick''.

When the Speaker asked the prime minister whether the government was piloting the Bill or not, Sharad Yadav rose up to claim that ''this reservation was not meant for bob-cut (baal kati) women.'' Many women members took exception to the remark.

The Bill was introduced in September last year when the House authorised the Speaker to refer it to a joint select committee made up of members of the two Houses. The panel, headed by Geeta Mukherjee, gave in its report last December.

The committee recommended that the Bill, as amended, be passed without delay and that legislation to back the Bill be brought before Parliament at the earliest.