Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Tuesday announced his decision to formally withdraw support to the government, protesting against the adoption of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh, who too had threatened to do so, however, was evasive on the issue. When journalists persisted with their questions, he said he would inform the media when he took a decision in this regard.
Mr. Prasad said he would call on President Pratibha Patil and submit his letter to her on Wednesday.
The RJD has four members in the Lok Sabha and had extended outside support to the UPA government.
Reacting to the suspension of seven members in the Rajya Sabha and the adoption of the Bill, the RJD chief and his SP counterpart charged that those evicted included four Muslim MPs.
The RJD and the SP chief, along with JD(U) president Sharad Yadav, told journalists that they met the Prime Minister earlier in the day but did not accept his suggestion that they allow the passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha and that their concerns would be addressed when the Bill is taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.
“Democracy stifled”
They charged that the Bill was taken up for discussion all of a sudden even without taking the allies into confidence. They alleged that democracy was being stifled, with the Rajya Sabha being turned into a fortress and paramilitary personnel posted as marshals.
The leaders said several Muslim delegations called on them, expressing their concern over the Bill as it denied them their due.
These leaders held a series of talks with Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, who too had underlined her opposition to the Bill.
Mr. Sharad Yadav is said to have mooted the idea of sponsoring a no-confidence motion against the government and reportedly Mr. Prasad and Mr. Singh seemed to agree with him on the issue.
But the fact remains that the split in the JD(U) over the issue came to the fore, with five members voting in favour of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and Mr. Yadav and his supporters openly opposing it in the Lok Sabha.
Showing posts with label RJD chief. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RJD chief. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
SP, BSP, RJD oppose Women’s Bill, LS adjourned
SP, BSP and RJD members today strongly opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, with one of them even trying to climb the Speaker’s podium, leading to adjournment of the House till lunch.
The Bill, slated to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, created storm in the Lok Sabha soon after Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed a Croatian delegation and read out a reference on International Women’s Day.
The moment Kumar called for Question Hour, SP, BSP and RJD members trooped into the Well demanding quotas for OBC, Dalit and Muslim women within the proposed law to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State assemblies for the fair sex.
The Speaker refused to adjourn the House and carried on with the Question Hour. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gestured his party members to move forward and himself marched to the Well from the side of the treasury benches. Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) and Lalu Prasad and Umashanker Singh (both RJD) followed Yadav.
At this moment, Mithilesh Kumar (SP) tried to climb the table placed in front of the Speaker prompting Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to request Yadav to control his members.
On the SP chief’s directive, the members retreated a bit but stayed put in the Well and continued to raise slogans.
The Bill, slated to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha, created storm in the Lok Sabha soon after Speaker Meira Kumar welcomed a Croatian delegation and read out a reference on International Women’s Day.
The moment Kumar called for Question Hour, SP, BSP and RJD members trooped into the Well demanding quotas for OBC, Dalit and Muslim women within the proposed law to reserve 33 per cent seats in Parliament and State assemblies for the fair sex.
The Speaker refused to adjourn the House and carried on with the Question Hour. SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav gestured his party members to move forward and himself marched to the Well from the side of the treasury benches. Dara Singh Chauhan (BSP) and Lalu Prasad and Umashanker Singh (both RJD) followed Yadav.
At this moment, Mithilesh Kumar (SP) tried to climb the table placed in front of the Speaker prompting Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee to request Yadav to control his members.
On the SP chief’s directive, the members retreated a bit but stayed put in the Well and continued to raise slogans.
Govt confident of passing Women’s Bill
The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 12 noon amid uproar over SP, RJD demand for implementation of Ranganath Misra Commission report on minority welfare.
Earlier today, the Government today expressed confidence over passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, saying though it did not want to “bulldoze” those opposing it, they should understand that equality was a fundamental right.
“I would say that it is a national resolve (to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies). In all these 14 years, it has been waiting. A change has to come and this is the day the change will come,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told reporters.
The Bill is slated to be taken up in Rajya Sabha today.
When asked if government would demand removal of members opposed to the Bill from the House, Mr. Moily said this was a hypothetical question.
“Our idea is not to bulldoze things. In a democracy, differences of opinion will be there, dissent will be there,” Mr. Moily said, adding that in a country of 600 million people, differences are bound to exist.
“I don't find fault in this but, at the same time, there are 600 million people and you are not in a position to get more than 18.5 per cent into legislatures. You cannot continue this kind of a domain. We need to provide them (women) the succour....Equality is a fundamental right,” he said.
The Law Minister said democracy required taking “appropriate decisions at the appropriate time”.
The Bill being brought in to coincide with the International Women's Day is expected to be approved without
any hitch with the Congress, BJP and the Left support and backing of some small parties and independents.
A Constitution amendment needs a two-thirds majority in voting requiring the support of 155 MPs in Rajya Sabha for its passage. The bill has clear backing of at least 165 MPs in the House with an effective strength of 233.
The opponents of the measure, BSP and SP, have 12 members each in Rajya Sabha while RJD has 4. Former premier H. D. Deve Gowda, whose JD(S) has 2 seats, said his party would give support if there is a OBC quota.
Earlier today, the Government today expressed confidence over passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, saying though it did not want to “bulldoze” those opposing it, they should understand that equality was a fundamental right.
“I would say that it is a national resolve (to give 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies). In all these 14 years, it has been waiting. A change has to come and this is the day the change will come,” Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily told reporters.
The Bill is slated to be taken up in Rajya Sabha today.
When asked if government would demand removal of members opposed to the Bill from the House, Mr. Moily said this was a hypothetical question.
“Our idea is not to bulldoze things. In a democracy, differences of opinion will be there, dissent will be there,” Mr. Moily said, adding that in a country of 600 million people, differences are bound to exist.
“I don't find fault in this but, at the same time, there are 600 million people and you are not in a position to get more than 18.5 per cent into legislatures. You cannot continue this kind of a domain. We need to provide them (women) the succour....Equality is a fundamental right,” he said.
The Law Minister said democracy required taking “appropriate decisions at the appropriate time”.
The Bill being brought in to coincide with the International Women's Day is expected to be approved without
any hitch with the Congress, BJP and the Left support and backing of some small parties and independents.
A Constitution amendment needs a two-thirds majority in voting requiring the support of 155 MPs in Rajya Sabha for its passage. The bill has clear backing of at least 165 MPs in the House with an effective strength of 233.
The opponents of the measure, BSP and SP, have 12 members each in Rajya Sabha while RJD has 4. Former premier H. D. Deve Gowda, whose JD(S) has 2 seats, said his party would give support if there is a OBC quota.
A political blunder: Lalu
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad on Sunday declared that the Women's Reservation Bill was ‘a political blunder' and a conspiracy hatched by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party to suppress representation of women from the backward classes.
Talking to journalists before leaving for Delhi to elicit support against the passage of the Bill, Mr. Prasad said: “Why only 33 per cent? I am for 50 per cent reservation for women if you like. But you cannot ignore the interests of women belonging to Other Backward Classes [OBC], Scheduled Castes [SC], Scheduled Tribes [ST] and backward sections of the Muslim community.”
“Women like Sushma Swaraj never needed a ‘reservation plank' to reach the top. It proves that the proposed Bill will only serve to further the interests of the elite classes.”
Severely censuring Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's U-turn on the Bill, Mr. Prasad remarked that he had been a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee in 1997 to examine the Bill, and had submitted a note of dissent then.
Dubbing Mr. Kumar a bahurupiya (one who changes colours), Mr. Prasad said the Chief Minister's opportunistic tactics were merely to appease his alliance partner, the BJP.
Commenting that the RJD would not give up the fight to oppose the Bill, Mr. Prasad said: “We will fight it tooth and nail and are even prepared to be marshalled out for that matter.”
Further, he revealed that certain top leaders from the BJP and the Congress were in constant touch with him and told him if their parties had not issued the whip they would have voted against the Bill.
Stating that the Centre did not have the guts to implement the Ranganath Mishra and the Sachar Panel reports, Mr. Prasad said the renewed focus on Women's Bill was a “diversionary tactic” to draw attention away from real issues.
Talking to journalists before leaving for Delhi to elicit support against the passage of the Bill, Mr. Prasad said: “Why only 33 per cent? I am for 50 per cent reservation for women if you like. But you cannot ignore the interests of women belonging to Other Backward Classes [OBC], Scheduled Castes [SC], Scheduled Tribes [ST] and backward sections of the Muslim community.”
“Women like Sushma Swaraj never needed a ‘reservation plank' to reach the top. It proves that the proposed Bill will only serve to further the interests of the elite classes.”
Severely censuring Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's U-turn on the Bill, Mr. Prasad remarked that he had been a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee in 1997 to examine the Bill, and had submitted a note of dissent then.
Dubbing Mr. Kumar a bahurupiya (one who changes colours), Mr. Prasad said the Chief Minister's opportunistic tactics were merely to appease his alliance partner, the BJP.
Commenting that the RJD would not give up the fight to oppose the Bill, Mr. Prasad said: “We will fight it tooth and nail and are even prepared to be marshalled out for that matter.”
Further, he revealed that certain top leaders from the BJP and the Congress were in constant touch with him and told him if their parties had not issued the whip they would have voted against the Bill.
Stating that the Centre did not have the guts to implement the Ranganath Mishra and the Sachar Panel reports, Mr. Prasad said the renewed focus on Women's Bill was a “diversionary tactic” to draw attention away from real issues.
Centre unfazed by opposition to Women's Reservation Bill
The government on Sunday expressed the hope that the Women's Reservation Bill, 2008 would be passed in the current session of Parliament despite opposition from some political parties.
“I am expecting men and women to support me when I present the Bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow [Monday],'' Union Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily said at a function here.
He said consensus among major political parties emerged after a lot of consultations but added that no single party could claim credit for it. The Bill has been pending for over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has described the proposed legislation as “anti-Muslim and anti-other backward classes'' in its present form as it excluded women of these sections.
Terming the Bill “dangerous,'' SP chief Mulayam Singh suggested in Lucknow that women be given 50 per cent reservation in government jobs rather than a quota in Parliament and the State Assemblies.
The SP has called a meeting of its Rajya Sabha members for Monday morning to chalk out its course of action when the Bill is tabled.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, too, has said it would oppose the Bill “tooth and nail and is “even prepared to be marshalled out.''
Describing the Bill as a “political blunder,'' RJD president Lalu Prasad said in Patna that it was a conspiracy hatched by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress to suppress representation of women belonging to the Other Backward Classes, the Scheduled Tribes/Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities.
While there is a split in the Janata Dal (United) over the Bill with the Bihar Chief Minister extending support and party chief Sharad Yadav opposing it, the Bahujan Samaj Party has said it will not back the legislation in its present form.
Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, too, has said that his party will support the Bill only if there is reservation for OBC women.
But undeterred by these developments, Mr. Moily said: “After all, the country needs such legislation and with our best intentions, the political parties could not evolve a system where adequate representation was made available to women.”
He said the proposed constitutional amendment was the only “remedy'' to provide adequate representation to women.
“The people of the country, the women and Parliament will take the credit. There is no partition in this credit,” he said, when asked to react on the BJP's claim that it had first introduced the proposed legislation in the Lok Sabha but it could not be passed following stiff opposition.
“I am expecting men and women to support me when I present the Bill in Rajya Sabha tomorrow [Monday],'' Union Law and Justice Minister Veerappa Moily said at a function here.
He said consensus among major political parties emerged after a lot of consultations but added that no single party could claim credit for it. The Bill has been pending for over a decade.
Meanwhile, the Samajwadi Party has described the proposed legislation as “anti-Muslim and anti-other backward classes'' in its present form as it excluded women of these sections.
Terming the Bill “dangerous,'' SP chief Mulayam Singh suggested in Lucknow that women be given 50 per cent reservation in government jobs rather than a quota in Parliament and the State Assemblies.
The SP has called a meeting of its Rajya Sabha members for Monday morning to chalk out its course of action when the Bill is tabled.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal, too, has said it would oppose the Bill “tooth and nail and is “even prepared to be marshalled out.''
Describing the Bill as a “political blunder,'' RJD president Lalu Prasad said in Patna that it was a conspiracy hatched by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress to suppress representation of women belonging to the Other Backward Classes, the Scheduled Tribes/Scheduled Castes and Muslim communities.
While there is a split in the Janata Dal (United) over the Bill with the Bihar Chief Minister extending support and party chief Sharad Yadav opposing it, the Bahujan Samaj Party has said it will not back the legislation in its present form.
Janata Dal (Secular) chief H.D. Deve Gowda, too, has said that his party will support the Bill only if there is reservation for OBC women.
But undeterred by these developments, Mr. Moily said: “After all, the country needs such legislation and with our best intentions, the political parties could not evolve a system where adequate representation was made available to women.”
He said the proposed constitutional amendment was the only “remedy'' to provide adequate representation to women.
“The people of the country, the women and Parliament will take the credit. There is no partition in this credit,” he said, when asked to react on the BJP's claim that it had first introduced the proposed legislation in the Lok Sabha but it could not be passed following stiff opposition.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Lalu plans to launch a bigger movement than JP’s
Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad on Saturday proclaimed that the RJD-Lok Janshakti Party “Bihar bandh” scheduled for January 28 would be bigger in scale than the Socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan’s “Total Revolution” clarion call during the 1975 Emergency.
Branding his bandh as a war against the Nitish Kumar government’s policies and the soaring prices of essential commodities, Mr. Prasad said the movement would go on until the prices come down to what they were six months ago.
Speaking to media persons after filing his nomination papers for the post of RJD president, Mr. Prasad said the RJD would launch the movement in phases and also stage a “jail bharo andolan”.
Mr. Prasad said Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar alone could not be held responsible for the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and that the Centre collectively was to blame for this.
Stating that measures taken by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi to control hoarding and black marketing across the State had proved “utterly ineffectual”, the RJD leader alleged that there had been “at least 500 hunger deaths in the State and that more people were dying due to the prevailing cold wave conditions as the Administration was not providing the poor with vital items like woollens”.
Mr. Prasad charged that “more and more liquor shops were being opened in villages and that education had stagnated throughout the State”.
“Education is in a sorry state in Bihar. The quality of primary and secondary education has gone to the dogs. Not a single medical college has been opened during his [Nitish’s] tenure,” said Mr. Prasad, adding, “There is widespread corruption in the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme due to which people have not been getting any work.”
Criticising the NDA government’s policies, Mr. Prasad said not a single sugar mill had been opened in the State till date and there had been no new investments
