New Delhi, June 5
Post-lunch sessions in the Lok Sabha (LS) are generally about little debate and a lot of slumber. But thanks to the Janata Dal United (JDU) chief Sharad Yadav’s theatrics, the House saw a thriller of a session, which saw the socialist stalwart from Bihar making tremendous use of his oratory skills to oppose the women’s quota bill. What’s more, he even threatened to consume poison if the bill was passed in its present form. The occasion was the debate on the motion of thanks on the Presidential address.

“Socrates had also consumed poison for the sake of righteousness. So will I, but will not allow this law be passed without a quota for Dalit women,” said Yadav. No sooner did he raise the pitch against the already-troubled law and mocked at the UPA’s women-centric moves (appointment of a woman President and Speaker) as “mere tokenism”, all traditional critics of the Bill came alive. Ramgopal Yadav of the SP said his party would, from June 9, “create an ambience against the bill and not change its stated position on it”; RJD’s Raghuvansh Prasad Singh demanded a quota within quota and reiterated party’s old stand on the law; BSP sought a Dalit quota, while Shiv Sena asked for lesser and party-based quota.

But Sharad Yadav emerged the clear leader of the pack as he recalled the history of reservation and women’s exploitation in India to challenge an “unfair, elitist piece of legislation, which was against the spirit of Gandhi’s and Ambedkar’s philosophy.”

“I am ready to consume poison but will not allow this unfair bill to be passed. The ruling alliance wants to decimate the marginalized sections by pushing for this law. If they are so concerned about women, let them also have a quota for Muslims, let them dismantle the caste system. Then there can be 100 per cent women’s reservation everywhere,” NDA convenor thundered in the House, minutes after his ally LK Advani of the BJP had supported the law, which is part of the PM’s 25-point agenda for the first 100 days.

Later deputy leader of the BJP in LS, Sushma Swaraj, said the party was aware of JDU’s stand on the law. “Had we shared all our views, we would not have been two different parties,” she said.

Sharad for his part went to the extent of warning the UPA against “playing with fire” and invoked past reservation precedents to drive home his point. “Gandhi aur Ambedkar but nahi hain…”(Gandhi and Ambedkar are no statues),” said the JD-U supremo, making his intentions about the law clear.

Mercifully, this time he steered clear of “lipstick, parkati-type” comments for the educated, urban women, who, he believes, would pocket the benefits of 33 per cent reservation in the Parliament and state legislatures.

Not that Sharad’s strident opposition shook the UPA’s commitment to pass the Bill in 100 days. Government sources indicated that the Bill would be brought in the next session of parliament. It is still with the Rajya Sabha committee, with UPA trying to fast track the committee formation formalities to enable early review and passage of the Bill.

A constitutional amendment Bill as it is, the draft law requires 2/3rd majority in both the Houses to get passed. In Lok Sabha, where the government has a clear majority, it needs the support of 364 MPs. In Rajya Sabha, the UPA needs the support of 153 MPs; it is short of majority in the Upper House.