Women's Reservation Bill in present form dangerous: Mulayam

Lucknow, Nov 23 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav today asserted that his party was against the Women's Reservation Bill in its current form.

''We are in favour of reservation for women. But, it should be at the most 20 per cent and not 33 per cent as suggested in the bill,'' he said.

Mr Yadav maintained that instead of the Election Commission (EC) deciding on the seats to be reserved for women, it should be left to the political parties to individually decide on the issue. ''Parties, which do not reserve 20 per cent of seats for women, should be de-recognised,'' he suggested.

The CM said the system of rotating seats for women was not a practical idea. ''If the seat is rotated, then no single candidate would be able to establish a personal rapport with the electorate...the very soul of democracy would then die,'' he added.

He said when former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee called upon him up to suggest 20 per cent reservation, he agreed. ''I wanted 10 per cent reservation, but I agreed on 20 per cent. I wonder why the NDA then did not table the Bill,'' he recalled.

''With 33 per cent seats reserved for women and another 17 per cent for SCs, upper castes and backwards would only have 45 per cent seats to contest. Therefore, the Bill in its present form is dangerous,'' he added.

UNI NAB/SB VS HS KN1605