Kendrapada (Orissa), March 9 (IANS) Women are not asking for charity through the women’s reservation bill and the move would check the “muddy politics” brought about by men, former Lok Sabha speaker Rabi Ray said Tuesday.
“Women are not asking for grace and charity. The reservation is not a bounty but only an honest recognition of their contribution to social development,” Ray said criticising those opposing the bill that seeks to reserve 33 percent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

“I was shocked to watch the usual disturbance in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by a handful of parliamentarians on the presentation of the report of parliamentary panel endorsing women’s reservation bill,” Ray told IANS.

“The union government should march ahead to get the bill passed in its original form without any distortion or dilution,” the veteran socialist leader said.

“Reservation for women would check the muddy politics that the men folk have brought about. It would bring social consciousness to political life,” said Ray.

“It will also help in brushing the criminal-politician nexus - the real danger to our democracy,” he added.