Women's Bill first, sub-quota later: Karunanidhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi. Photo: K. Pichumani

DMK, a key ally of the Congress-led UPA, on Saturday strongly backed the Women’s Reservation Bill and said issues of sub-quota, raised by opponents of the legislation, could be sorted out later.

“Let us first accept the invitation for the feast and then decide what delicacy is good for us and what is not,” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi said.

It would be right to first ensure the 33 per cent reservation for women and then go in for a “phased” implementation of reservation within reservation for women from Muslim community, SC and STs, he wrote in DMK mouthpiece

Murasoli , in an apparent reference to the opposition to the Bill by Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party and Lalu Prasad’s RJD who have demanded sub-quotas.

Recalling words of French philosopher Rousseau, Mr. Karunanidhi said when consensus eludes an issue, the majority view must be taken into account. He said the wait for consenus would not be justified if it was meant to postpone the issue, referring to the Bill hanging fire for 13 years.

The Congress and the BJP have issued whips to their party MPs asking them to back the reservation bill coming up in Rajya Sabha coinciding with the International Women’s Day on Monday.