BJP threatnes nationwide stir on Women's Reservation Bill

Bhubaneswar, Aug 6 (UNI) The BJP today threatened to launch a nationwide stir if the Women's Reservation Bill was not passed in its present form in the coming monsoon session of Parliament.

Senior BJP leader and party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told reporters here that the Bill, providing 33 per cent reservation to women in the Assemblies and Parliament, must be passed in the monsoon session to help them participate in the coming general elections.

Ms Swaraj was here to participate in the three-day party national zonal Mahila Morcha training camp which began here yesterday. Women leaders from Bihar, West Bengal, Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand and host Orissa are participating in the camp.

She said the BJP was opposed to 'quota within quota' as suggested by some political parties and demanded the bill be passed in its present form at the earliest.

She said all major parties, including the Congress, Left and BJP, were in favour of the Bill in its present form. Only the RJD and Samajwadi Party--two constituents of the UPA government were opposed to it.

She said her party feared that the UPA government might have agreed to 'dilute' the provision of the Bill as a pre-condition to win the support of some of these parties during the July 22 trust vote.

Ms Swaraj warned that the BJP would launch a nationwide agitation if the government went ahead to fulfil the pre-conditions set by the political parties.

She alleged that the Union government had already filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court a day after the trust vote saying Ram had destroyed the Ram Setu. This was done to fulfil the Congress' promise given to the DMK to win their support in the confidence motion.

The BJP leader cautioned the central government not to commit such a mistake again.

Mrs Swaraj also denied the allegation that the BJP was behind the recent violence in Jammu. She said the violence was a 'spontaneous' reaction of the Hindus after their sentiment was hurt.

She held the Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir responsible for the incident as violence occurred after the state government revoked the land alloted to the Amarnath Trust Board under pressure of some sections of the people.

To a question Mrs Swaraj said the CD circulated by the SP and RJD after the trust vote was a forged one and was prepared after July 22.

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