Mulayam calls women reservation bill ''undemocratic''

Lucknow, Jun 23 (UNI) Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav today said although his party had always patted steps taken for the welfare of women, the proposed women reservation bill was ''undemocratic''.

Addressing a meet with Samajwadi Mahila Sabha district office bearers and state working committee, Mr Yadav said ''the SP has always favoured women reservation, but the present structure of the bill seeking 33 per cent reservation in Parliament and Assemblies needs revision.'' ''Women belonging to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and Other Backward Class (OBC) should be given reservation, but rotation system for reservation need to be abolished,'' the earstwhile CM demanded.

''The SP is only being misunderstood on the women reservation issue...the thing is just that the party wants it to happen after political consensus,'' the former Defence Minister underlined.

Noting the importance of women in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Mr Yadav asked them to come forward and burn the midnight oil for preparedness of the poll.

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