Quota won't help 'unattractive' rural women: Mulayam Singh Yadav

LUCKNOW/BARABANKI: Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has kicked up a row with his remark that rural women will not benefit from the women's reservation bill because they were 'not as attractive as those from the affluent class.'

Mulayam, whose party is in power in Uttar Pradesh, and is an outside supporter of UPA government, made the comment while articulating his opposition to the long pending women reservation bill.

" Bade bade gharon ki ladkiya aur mahilayan kewal upar ja sakti hain...yaad rakhna...apko mauka nahi milega..hamare gaon ki mahila me akarshan itna nahin (only girls and women from affluent class can go forward...remember this...you (rural women) will not get a chance...Our rural women do not have that much attraction)," he said at a rally in Barabanki on Thursday.

However, Mulayam said in Lucknow on Friday that his party could consider supporting the bill if Dalits, Muslims and Backward Classes were also taken care of under its ambit.

"I have opposed the bill earlier...It has been amended and if Dalits, Muslims and Backward Classes are taken care of in it, we can consider supporting it," he added.