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Regular-article-logo Saturday, 16 August 2025

Centre wangles pause in bill fight

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OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published 12.03.10, 12:00 AM

New Delhi, March 11: The Centre today succeeded in restoring normality in the Lok Sabha after Pranab Mukherjee pacified the agitated opponents of the women’s reservation bill without making any substantial concession.

Pranab, who brokered peace in his capacity as leader of the Lok Sabha, didn’t even commit the government to a formal all-party meeting as demanded by the bill’s critics.

His announcement in the House merely suggested the government would take the bill up in the Lok Sabha after completing the consultation process. He said “all concerned” would be consulted, which does not mean a formal all-party meeting would necessarily be called.

Even before forcing the bill’s passage in the Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister had consulted Lalu Prasad, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav.

After two adjournments today, Pranab called Sharad, Lalu Prasad and Mulayam to discuss the issue. Others like Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and T.R. Baalu too were present.

The bill opponents allowed the House to function after the meeting as they were convinced the government was not planning to bring the bill in the Lower House before the March 16 recess, or to do so without formally informing them. Government sources denied there was any hint of a climbdown in Pranab’s announcement.

Although Pranab said the government would consult the bill’s opponents and had no problem in calling an all-party meeting either, he mentioned how the consultation process had been going on for years without any signs of a consensus evolving.

The implication was that the consultation process had been exhaustive and that there was no point debating the legislation’s merits all over again if consensus was not possible.

Lalu Prasad claimed that most Congress and BJP members were pleading before the bill opponents to save their political careers. “They all cry before us outside Parliament. They say, ‘We are being forced to sign our death warrant’,” the RJD leader claimed.

The Lok Sabha business advisory committee meets tomorrow but the women’s bill appears unlikely to be listed before the recess.

 

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