Uma threatens to go on hunger strike

Indore, May 18 (UNI) Bharatiya Janshakti (BJ) President Uma Bharti today threatened to launch indefinite hunger strike if the present form of the Women's Reservation Bill was not changed.

Ms Bharti told reporters here that she was opposing tabling of the Bill without provision of reservation for SC, ST and backward class women let alone it being passed.

She said she would launch an indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi to protest against the present format of the Bill before Parliament session gets underway.

Ms Bharti said the manner in which the Bill was tabled was ''illegal''. The Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha instead of the Lok Sabha.

She claimed women in the Rajya Sabha ''are not able to win elections'' so they supported the Bill. However, she claimed, women in the Lok Sabha would oppose the Bill.

UNI AA-PS HS KN2051