All parties support Women's Reservation Bill now: Antony

Palakkad, Mar 18 (UNI) Union Defence Minister A K Antony today said all political parties had started supporting the Women's Reservation Bill guaranteeing 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures.

Participating in the valedictory function of the one-year-long birth centenary celebrations of freedom fighter K V Kuttimalu Amma at Anakkara, about 90 km from here, he said the parties, which once opposed the Bill, were now supporting it.

Stating that the women-reservation formula was successfully adopted in the municipal and local-body elections in many states, he said it would be implemented in the legislatures soon.

The Minister recalled that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was responsible for introducing women's reservation in Panchayats.

Pointing out that the Left parties support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre was to keep away the communal forces from power, he said still they were not completely extending support to the government on many issues.

''They should change their stand and support the UPA Government wholeheartedly,'' he added.

Lauding the contributions of Kuttimalu Amma during the freedom struggle, he said she had ventured into the national movement for freedom while men were shying away from it. ''She marched in the forefront with her 30-day child and was jailed with the infant'' he recalled.

Participating in the function, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi alleged that Communist parties were trying to re-write history to find a place in the freedom struggle.

UNI