Monday, March 8, 2010

behind the scene drama on womens bill

behind the scene drama on womens bill

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh discussed with
his senior Minsterial colleagues Pranab, Gulam, Pawan Bansal
and Salman Khursheed.

Sonia Gandhi reached Ten Janpath. She called Pranab for a closed
door discussions

Ahmed patel was in central hall. janardan diwedi went to ahmed patel
and told him to rush to ten janpath.

Sonia Gandhi was told about the withdrawal threat of Lalu and Mulayam

Sonia is undeterred, not at all disturbed according to a source



12.35 pm: Central Hall of Parliament full. Women MPs obviously excited. Sonia seen with Ahmed Patel and Jairam Ramesh. Last minute strategy?

12.15 noon: Further delay in introducing the Women's Reservation bill as the Rajya Sabha is adjourned till 2.00 pm following uproar by SP, RJD demanding implementation of Ranganath Misra Commission report on minority welfare. Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha too is adjourned till 2 pm amid uproar by SP, RJD and BSP members demanding reservation to dalit, OBC and minority community in the Women's Reservation Bill.

11.30 am: Law Minister M. Verappa Moily will read a statement on the Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha at noon.

► Raya Sabha adjourned till noon amid uproar over the demand from SP and RJD for implementation of the Ranganath Misra Commission report on minority welfare.

► BJP leader in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitely, was seen in animated discussion with Samajwadi Party MPs. Perhaps trying to make them see the writing on the wall and to ask them not to disrupt proceedings when the bill is introduced.

►Many ministers are seen wearing tensed looks in the central hall of Parliament, though nobody suspects any threat to the government.

11.15 am: The heat is on. As parliament is about to assemble to discuss and debate the bill to reserve 33 percent of the seats in all directly elected legislatures, there is a buzz around parliament like never before.

►B B Tiwari, leader of the Samajwadi Party in Rajya Sabha tells Governance Now there is no way the bill will be introduced in the house at noon, as scheduled.

10.45 am:

► The Bharatiya Janata Party has put the burden of maintaining order in the Rajya Sabha, where the bill will be introduced on the centenary day of Women's Day today, squarely on the ruling party. This is because the Yadav trio, Lalu Prasad of Rashtriya Janata Dal, Mulayam Singh of Samajwadi Party and Sharad of Janata Dal (United), have threatened to do everything in their mite to stall the introduction and debate over the bill. Sharad Yadav is president of the JD(U), a party with which the BJP shares power in Bihar. The BJP has committed its support to the passage of the bill.

► About 100 outdoor broadcast vans of news channels cluttered the Vijay Chowk lawns, far in excess of the numbers that even the nuclear deal debate of July 2009 that threatened to pull down the government.

► TTV Dinakaran of Jayalalithaa's AIADMK made a first time appearance in the Rajya Sabha to attend and vote for the bill. Dinakaran has been banned by Jaya from attending the house due to some internal party politics. Dinakaran took special permission from her to be present today.

►As leader of the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be voting in favour of the bill at the end of the debate.

ENDS

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