Geeta Leaves Chair, Walks Out Over Womens Bill Delay

If Geeta Mukherjee of the CPI had her way, the controversial womens reservation bill would have been taken up for discussion on the last day of the winter session yesterday.

She was in the chair but rules prevented her from initiating such a move which prompted her to resume her seat and stage a walkout along with some CPI and Congress MPs.

In the absence of speaker P A Sangma, Mukherjee took the chair and announced that the House would take up the women reservation bill ahead of several items listed in the agenda. But members pointed procedural problems for doing so as the time had been marked for private members bills.

Departing from convention, Mukherjee called Nitish Kumar (Samata) to replace her in the chair, and on reaching the members benches, demanded that the bill be taken up. Mukherjee and Kumar are on the panel of chairpersons who conduct proceedings in the absence of the presiding officer.

Mukherjees demand, however, was opposed by several members from all sides. But she rallied five women MPs (except BJP), and later staged a walkout alongwith P R Dasmunshi (Cong). Mukherjee, who headed the parliamentary panel on the bill, said the delay in taking up the bill was absolutely unjustified.

I want to register my strong protest against this bill not being taken up in this session, she said.