The Hindu : National : Women's Bill acceptable only in new format: Mulayam Singh

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Friday, May 28, 2004

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National

Women's Bill acceptable only in new format: Mulayam Singh

By J.P. Shukla

LUCKNOW, MAY 27. The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, today said that the Samajwadi Party would oppose the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament if it was presented without changing its framework as prepared by the previous National Democratic Alliance Government.

In principle he was not opposed to reservation for women but the format in which the Bill had been rushed through by the Vajpayee Government could not be acceptable to his party, Mr. Yadav said.

On the issue of abolition of POTA, however, Mr. Yadav said he had never favoured the draconian law. His party had strongly expressed itself against POTA in Parliament even when others had kept silent on the issue. The views of his party were similarly well known on the question of disinvestment in public sector undertakings, the Chief Minister said while replying to reporters' questions at a press conference at his residence here.

Mr. Yadav declined to comment on the beginning of the Manmohan Singh Government saying that he would give his reactions only six months later. "Any new government should be given at least six months' time before making a judgment on its performance," he said.

He agreed to a suggestion that the Congress had ``failed to show any courtesy to his party leader, Amar Singh, who had gone uninvited to the party held by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, for the leaders of her ruling alliance before the formation of the new Government at the Centre.'' Mr. Yadav, however, asserted that the stand taken by his party after the Lok Sabha elections was perfect. He had extended his support to the new Government to uphold the principles of secularism. His party letter written to the President in this regard had remained unchanged while leaders of other parties had to write fresh letters as Dr. Manmohan Singh became the new Prime Ministerial candidate in place of Sonia Gandhi, he pointed out.

He extended all support to the CPI(M) leader, Somnath Chatterjee, as a choice for the post of new Speaker of the Lok Sabha. "Mr. Chatterjee should be elected unanimously by all the parties." He said he would demand a special economic package for Uttar Pradesh.

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