WOMEN'S BILL IN PARLIAMENT?

DEHRA DUN: BJP leader Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said her party would support the women's reservation bill in its present form and asked the UPA government to have it passed in the upcoming monsoon session of Parliament beginning August 11.

"If the UPA government tables the (women's reservation) bill in its present form in Parliament during its monsoon session, the BJP will support it," Swaraj told reporters after attending a women's rally.

She said the BJP was also ready to support the Election Commission's proposal for 33 per cent reservation for women within all political parties. In this regard, she pointed out that BJP President Rajnath Singh had already issued a written consent to the EC's proposal.

"We are ready to support either proposal. There should either be a women's reservation bill or else the government should accept EC's proposal," Swaraj said.