BJP TODAY

June 1--15, 2003 - Vol. 12, No. 11

Women's Reservation Bill deferred in favour of decent Parliamentary proceedings -Sushma Swaraj

The 33-percent reservation for women Bill in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies could easily have been passed during the budget session of Parliament if those supporting the Bill would have agreed to wield the ultimate Parliamentary weapon against the opponents - expelling them from the Houses forcibly with the help of Marshals!

When speaker Manohar Joshi asked the leaders of political leaders supporting the Bill if he should take recourse to this step, none of them approved of it, saying they could not be party to this measure against their friends in Parliaments even though they opposed the Bill.

Disclosing this to mediapersons on May 9, the last day of the Budget Session of Parliament, Shrimati Sushama Swaraj, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, explained that the provision for women's reservation could be provided only though a Constitutional Amendment Bill. Such a Bill can be passed only it is supported by half the total number of members in either House and two thirds of those present and voting. What was more, every single clause of the Bill has to be passed by such a majority.

The two Houses did have the requisite support since the NDA, the Congress and the Left support the Bill. However, the two-thirds majority has to be recorded after a proper count of heads. This is not possible if certain sections go on obstructing the voting and its proper counting. Before a vote is taken, the lobbies have to be cleared and doors have to be closed. This cannot be ensured if even a few people obstruct the proceedings in a determined manner. The only way to ensure smooth passage would be to expel those members who prevent the voting with the help of marshals. This is not a procedure that leders were agreeable to and hence the Bill had to be deferred.

Shrimati Swaraj. however, disclosed that the Speaker had called a meeting of the Parliamentary Party leaders on June 16 when there would be another attempt as arriving at a consensus on the Bill. If this happened, the Bill would be passed during the mansoon session of Parliament (August September).