Thaindian News

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) The Congress Monday slammed a “handful” of opposition members, namely the Samajwadi Party (SP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), for their “churlish” attempts to derail the women’s reservation bill but said the government was determined to pass the history-making legislation.
“Despite all the churlish attempts to the contrary, something which would and will make India, the Indian womanhood and Indian democracy proud, is being turned by a bare handful of persons into the shame of democracy,” Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters.

“The Congress condemns it, charactersises it as deplorable,” he said.

“The present reservation bill is a subject where the only question is when and not if. It’s an idea whose time has come and the inevitable cannot be postponed,” he added.

“It is a clear reflection of the true approach and thinking of these handful of persons and that thinking which stands exposed. But we shall not give up,”Singhvi added.

“We will overcome each barrier and each bastion is surely falling and giving way .. the few people who stand up to oppose this will realise the impact and force of public denigration,” he added.

“In particular, we condemn in the strongest possible words the shameful conduct of climbing on the dais and virtually attacking even the chair. Indian democracy is shamed by such incidents. Even the chair is not sacrosanct,” he added.

The historic bill that promises to reserve 33 percent of legislative seats for women was moved in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of Indian parliament, amid unruly scenes as a dozen members - SP, RJD and LJP - opposing it tore up the document and hurled the pieces at chairman Hamid Ansari before forcing the house’s fifth adjournment in a day.