No change to Women’s Bill: PM

The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Wednesday dismissed as “too premature” the possibility of any dilution in the Women’s Reservation Bill ahead of a meeting of leaders of political parties in the Lok Sabha. The meeting has been convened here on April 5 for wider consultations with political party leaders to try and evolve at a consensus.
The Congress has rejected suggestions of any dilution in the bill during its official briefing held on Wednesday afternoon, while the law minister, Mr M. Veerappa Moily, had on Tuesday said the government would be going ahead with the bill in its present form in the Lok Sabha in the second phase of the Budget Session beginning April 15.
“It is too premature” was Dr Singh’s cryptic response when asked whether the bill, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and the state Assemblies, could see any dilution in view of the opposition by some political parties.
He said the matter was under discussion. “We will discuss with political parties how best to proceed. We are committed to discussing the issue”.
The current mood in the Congress and the government is not for dilution in this historic piece of legislation after realising that the party stands to gain and the BJP, Left will have no option but to support it.
The Mandalite parties — SP, JD(U) and the RJD — which are confined to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, cannot stop the historic process, initiated by the Congress chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, even at the stake of the government at the Centre, insiders viewed.