Most Congress leaders feel the women’s bill becoming law is now a mere formality but are not sure if the government would repeat the eviction tactic in the Lok Sabha where use of force carries higher risks.
“Nobody can stop it now. A week later or sooner doesn’t really matter,” said a leader, discounting speculation about the bill being put in the cold storage for a long period.
Although the passage of the bill has delighted the women in the Congress, the men in the party, especially those who have not yet made the big league, are extremely worried. One of them said: “Soniaji has called us for dinner tomorrow. Perhaps, she wants to see our faces. We have to lift our mood and push ourselves up for the party. We certainly can’t express our feelings in front of her.”
Sonia herself is aware of the deep sense of disquiet in the party. “Sach much?” Sonia asked partymen who congratulated her yesterday and some feel the question was only in half jest.
She has invited all ministers and MPs from her party, along with AICC office-bearers, for dinner at her residence tomorrow and might use the opportunity to convince them how important the legislation would be in the larger quest for equality and justice.
The Congress has to steel itself for the Lok Sabha battle, which would be much bigger and risky than the unparalleled marshal-driven exercise in the Rajya Sabha. Party leaders are aware of the criticism the eviction has drawn.
A silent mobilisation among MPs of the Lower House against the use of force has also rung alarm bells among the Congress’s managers. The Janata Dal (United) and a section of the BJP have openly expressed their indignation at the way the bill was pushed through yesterday.
The opponents of the bill in the Lok Sabha will form a much larger chunk, making it tougher for the Speaker to get them thrown out.
The government will have to summon extraordinary courage to bodily lift the likes of Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav as the marshals did with the lesser-known rabble-rousers in the other House. Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Bansal conceded today that the government would not like to use force repeatedly. The Rajya Sabha members’ suspension is likely to be revoked as a goodwill gesture.
Congress sources said the bill would definitely be placed in the Lok Sabha in this session but were not confident if the government would go to the extent to pass it as it did in the Rajya Sabha.
They said the dominant view in the government was that the women’s bill should be brought in only after the passage of the Finance Bill.
The government needs to pass the money bills by March 31, enabling a vote-on-account expenditure for the first three months of the next financial year, before the final adoption of the demands for grants next month.
This has created a situation where the government would not like to go in for the women’s bill before the recess in the budget session.
Although both law minister Veerappa Moily and parliamentary affairs minister Bansal did not rule out the possibility of the bill being listed on March 15 or 16, the days before the recess, the majority view is that voting and discussion would be done only after the passage of the full budget in the second half of the session.
The business advisory committee of the Lok Sabha is meeting tomorrow and it will discuss the options.
“Certainly, by May 7 in all probability it (the women’s bill) will be passed,” PTI quoted Bansal as saying. May 7 is the last day of the budget session.
