Amid talk of session's 'hidden agenda', Oppn presses for women's bill

New Delhi: On the eve of the five-day Parliament session on Monday amid talk of a 'hidden agenda', several parties made a strong pitch for the passage of the women's reservation bill with the government asserting that an "appropriate decision will be taken at an appropriate time".

At an all-party meeting convened by the government, several leaders said the long-pending bill should be tabled and hoped that it can be passed with consensus.

The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. After the meeting, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said an "appropriate decision will be taken at appropriate time" on the parties' demand for the bill.

The minister said tributes were paid at the allparty meeting to security forces personnel who laid down their lives in Kashmir. On the women's reservation bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all opposition parties demanded its passage in this Parliament session.

BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel said, "We appeal to govt to pass the women's reservation bill in this Parliament session."

However, some regional parties demanded quota for backward classes and SCs within the overall reservation for women, sources said. This has been a key sticking point in the passage of the bill earlier.

BJD leader Pinaki Misra said a new era should begin from new Parliament building and the women's bill should be passed. Chowdhury said that the government had informed them it was a regular session of Parliament.

"Only the government knows what its intention is. It may surprise everyone with some new agenda," he said, adding issues such as price rise, unemployment, the situation on the border with China were raised by his party in the meeting. (PTI)