All party meet to discuss Women’s Reservation Bill on Monday

NEW DELHI - The UPA Government has convened a all party meeting on Monday to discuss issues related to the Women’s Reservation Bill.

The Government is trying once again to resolve the deadlock ahead of the parliament session reconvening from April 15.

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would meet leaders of various parties to discuss the issue.

Last month, Mukherjee assured the Lok Sabha that he would convene all party meet to bring the consensus on the issue, when a section of opposition parties demanded quota within quota for minorities and other backward section women.

Ahead of the meeting, Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari urged the opposition parties to give up resistance.

“We hope that given the profound social transformation which progressive legislations have brought about across the globe, opponents of the quota bill will learn from history and not stand in the way of further evolution of Indian democracy,” he said.

The quota opponents are not softening their tone though.

Samajawadi Party (SP) spokesman Mohan Singh said the Centre was bent on pushing the bill in the coming session and has reached an understanding with the BJP, which has assured that it will not put the Finance Bill in danger.

“BJP’s fear now is against the Muslim quota which is on the Centre’s table,” he said.

The controversy erupted when Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav along with some Muslim leaders came out against the proposed quota, saying that it would harm the interests of their constituents.

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

Since then, however, the government has relented.(ANI)