Women's Quota Bill introduced in RS amid chaos
{image-women reservation_06052008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, May 6: The controversial and long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill was today introduced in the Rajya Sabha amid unprecedented high drama by Samajwadi Party members who had a scuffle with ruling UPA members while trying to prevent the tabling of the legislation.
As soon as the Chair asked Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj to introduce the Constitution 108th Amendment Bill providing for 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures, the SP members, who were already in the well of the House protesting against the legislation in its present form, rushed towards the seat of Mr Bhardwaj and tried to snatch the Bill from him. Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Choudhary and a few more Ministers soon came up and tried to create a protective wall around the Law Minister, but the SP members, especially Abu Asim Azmi, was sucessful in reaching up to the Minister and a scuffle followed between the SP and UPA members.
While all this was going on, Prof P J Kurein, who was in the Chair, asked for the consent of the House to introduce the Bill, which he got from all members except the SP and the JD(U) by a voice vote.
By this time, protesting Mr Azmi had been overpowered by the UPA members and disengaged from the Law Minister.
Thereafter the Chair announced adjournment of the House till 1400 hrs.
UNI