SP, RJD to oppose Women's Bill in all party meeting

New Delhi, Apr 5 (ANI): The Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday reiterated their determination to oppose the Women's Reservation Bill in its current form, even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to preside over an all party meeting on the issue.

Both parties said they would continue to press for reservation within reservation for the minorities and other backward class women.

The SP and the RJD's statements came just before the all party meeting.

"We oppose the Bill in its present form. We are not opposed to reservation for women," SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav said.

He said the bill predicted rotation of seats reserved for women, and it is possible, that in a House with 543 seats, women will fight for over 181 seats.

"In such a scenario, it is possible that just around 50 of seats could be contested by men in the elections, he added.

Lalu Prasad said: "We will not oppose reservation. We will stick to our old stand of reservation within reservation. The bill must include reservation for Muslim women, women from backward classes and Dalits."

Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad , Sharad Yadav and some Muslim leaders have opposed the proposed quota, saying it would harm the interests of their constituents.

Their protest ran into a wall of resistance from the Congress leadership, which saw to it that marshals ensured order in Rajya Sabha to let the Bill be considered for voting.

Since then, the government has relented. (ANI)