On board a Special Aircraft, May 26: President Pratibha Patil today favoured passage of the controversial Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.
“My desire is it should be passed,” she told reporters accompanying her on a six-day visit to China when asked whether she would like the Bill to be passed in the Lok Sabha.
The Bill, which seeks to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March nine after forcible eviction of seven members vociferously opposing it.
The landmark bill was debated and voted upon a day after it was moved for consideration but could not be taken up as some members created unprecedented pandemonium and even tried to attack Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari.
The bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha after marshals were used to remove the seven members who stayed put even after they were suspended from the House for unruly behaviour.
The government had convened a meeting with leaders of various parties in the Lok Sabha on April 5 to sort out differences over the contentious bill. However, there was no significant change in the stated positions of various parties.
Given the sharp political divisions, government had not brought the bill in the Lok Sabha apparently with a desire to get the financial agenda through in Parliament first.
Parties like SP, RJD and JD-U have been demanding a sub-quota for Dalit women in the bill.
–Agencies