Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav, who stirred up a controversy by saying that the women's reservation bill would only benefit affluent women, said on Friday that the legislation would impede the progress of backwards and minorities if it came into force.
"Backwards would become more backward and minorities would remain second grade citizens in case the women's reservation comes into force," the SP supremo said addressing party workers here while welcoming general secretary of BJP's Jaunpur unit Samarnath Singh Chauhan into his party.
The SP president challenged both the Congress and BJP supporting the bill to first grant 50 per cent quota for women in education and employment if they were really interested in their welfare and progress.
"The successive Congress governments have done nothing for these sections," he alleged.
Yadav reiterated that it should be mandatory for all political parties to field at least 20 per cent women in polls.
Alleging that Congress has been ignoring the interests of minorities, Yadav said that it was shying away from implementing the suggestions of Sachchar and Rangnath Misra committees.
On the deadly naxal attack in Dantewada which claimed the lives of 75 CRPF personnel, Yadav said he had warned of internal threat during a meeting with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji two days before the Maoists struck in Chattisgarh.
Terming the situation as very serious, he said besides other steps it was also essential that youths be provided better education and employment opportunities.
"In case of inability to provide employment, the goverment should give unemployment allowance to check youths from falling prey to such elements, he added. PTI
