New Delhi, March 11 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday moved swiftly to quell rumblings within the party over supporting the women’s reservation bill, saying it stood united and would issue a whip to MPs to support the bill when it is tabled in the Lok Sabha.
Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj said the BJP was in favour of the women’s reservation bill and will issue a whip to its MPs to vote in favour of the legislation.

“Every MP will follow the whip,” she said.

She added that reports in the media about rebellion in the party MPs over the bill were “untrue and baseless.”

“The party is united and of one view.”

However, party MP from Gorakhpur Yogi Adityanath, openly voiced opposition to the legislation.

Adityanath told IANS that the women’s reservation bill was needless. “It is needless. We are against any reservation. Everybody should come to (parliament) on his/her ability,” he said, adding that the BJP leadership had fallen into a trap of the Congress-led government.

“There are other more important issues to be discussed. People are suffering from price rise, there is Maoist insurgency, there is terrorism, and our country is facing grave internal and external security threats. The government wants to deflect attention of the public and MPs from these issues,” he said.

Asked if he would vote for the bill when it was brought to the Lok Sabha, Adityanath’s reply was a categoric “no”.

“Not even if there is a whip from the party. There is something called internal democracy in the party.” Asked if more MPs in the BJP shared his view, Adityanath said: “The viewpoint is growing and many MPs have understood it.”

Later, in a bid to assuage angry member, the BJP held a meeting of its Lok Sabha MPs at the residence of party leader L.K. Advani.

After the meeting, Swaraj said the party will not tolerate the entry of marshals in the Lok Sabha during discussion or voting on the legislation.

Swaraj said the MPs were “angry” over use of marshals during the voting on the bill in the Rajya Sabha.

Seven MPs from Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party, who had been suspended by the Rajya Sabha earlier for unruly behaviour, were evicted from the upper house Tuesday by marshals ahead of voting after they continued to loudly protest the bill and were suspended for the rest of the budget session.

Swaraj said no discussion or voting will take place if marshals were called.

“No discussion, no voting (if marshals are called), the BJP is firm on this,” she said.

Swaraj said the meeting of party MPs was held in a cordial atmosphere and was attended by all those present in Delhi.

BJP sources said that some MPs questioned the wisdom of the party in backing the Congress on the bill at a time when the ruling party was under pressure on the issue of price rise and petrol fuel hike.

They also felt that a meeting of party MPs should have been held before the vote in the Rajya Sabha and the party should have forcefully opposed the use of marshals in the house.

The meeting, which lasted almost two hours, was also attended by leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley and the party’s deputy leader in the house S.S. Ahluwalia.

Yogi Adityanath, who earlier in the day rebelled against the bill, was also present.