'Women's Reservation Bill for privileged class'

New Delhi, May 6: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today said it opposed the Women's Reservation Bill because the legislation in its present form was against the principle of equal opportunity and, if enacted, would perpetuate the dominance of privileged classes in politics.

In a letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, where the Bill was introduced, RJD MP Rajniti Prasad said his party was not against reservation for women, and no party would oppose any move that would empower women and put an end to their harassment and ensure their progress. However, he said, the Bill in its present form would give reservation to only those classes of society which were already well off economically and socially.

''What would happen to the women belonging to scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and backward classes. Who would give representation to women who, for the lack of opportunitiues, were sitting at home, '' the letter said.

The Bill was against the basic principles of the Constitution, Mr Prasad said.

UNI