Congress snubs Pawar, says no dilution to 33%

NEW DELHI: Congress on Monday rejected NCP leader Sharad Pawar’s statement that the Centre was willing to dilute the women’s quota bill to make it appealing to the legislation’s opponents.

Addressing party workers in Pune at the end of the two-day NCP conclave on Sunday, Mr Pawar had said amendments to bill could not be ruled out. “To ensure consensus among all parties, there are chances of reducing the 33% quota,” Mr Pawar had said.

But Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that there was no question of going back on the Bill. “Let me make it clear that there is no such proposal. There is no such idea,” Mr Singhvi said when asked if views of the Yadav troika of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and JD(U) president Sharad Yadav would be accommodated in the bill.

Mr Singhvi claimed that the issue was discussed within the UPA coalition and that there was no disharmony. “We will be on the same page,” he said. But quota critics within UPA asserted that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs never discussed the bill and the timing of its presentation was decided by the Congress Core Committee.

The Congress spokesman said the UPA pushed the bill in the Rajya Sabha and it will achieve the dream of getting it passed. “There is no cause of speculation in this regard,” he added. Asked about BJP and Left supporting the bill and joining hand to oppose the nuclear liabilities bill, Mr Singhvi said there was no connection between the two.