After Sharad Yadav, Mulayam opposes Women's Reservation Bill

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party on Monday opposed the proposed Women's Reservation Bill, terming it as a "conspiracy" against the leaders who have reached the Lok Sabha through "hard struggles" and warned of people's movement if the UPA pushes the legislation.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose party is supporting the government from outside, backed the contention of JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav that if the Bill was passed without a consensus, it would amount to giving "poison by force" by the ruling class to those opposed to the legislation as had been done to Greek philosopher Socrates.

Participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in the Lok Sabha, Yadav said he was not against greater participation of women in politics but it should be done through consensus.

He sought to reach out to the BJP, JD(U), RJD and Left, seeking their support to stall the bill which provides for 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and assemblies.

"The Bill is dangerous for the leadership of Lok Sabha... It is a conspiracy...It would finish the leadership," Yadav said.

Elaborating, he said leaders like LK Advani, MM Joshi, Sharad Yadav and Lalu Prasad had not reached the present state in a day but through "hard struggles".

TOI

UPA govt trying to send me to jail: Mulayam

Etawah: Coming down heavily on the UPA government at the Centre which his party helped survive after the Left withdrew its support over the Indo-US nuclear deal, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has charged it with using the CBI to try and put him behind bars.

"The government, which we have supported during the height of the Indo-US nuclear deal imbroglio, is now trying to send me to jail with CBI's help," the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister told a function at Charan Singh PG College here on Friday.

"The CBI is preparing fake documents to frame me (in the disproportionate assets case)," he said. He said party General Secretary Amar Singh, however, came to know about this and found out how "the property of others was mentioned against my name".

Yadav also flayed the Centre's faulty foreign policy and said the country stood isolated at the global level because of that. Turning to farmers, he said there was a move to stop the subsidy provided to them.


IANS