RJD fields its most vocal anti-women’s Bill MP in panel

The RJD chief has withdrawn Sadhu Yadav alias Anirudh Prasad Yadav (Gopalganj), brother of his wife Rabri Devi, from the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice to facilitate the fresh nomination. A fifth-term MP, Devendra Prasad Yadav is deputy leader of the RJD in the Lok Sabha. The RJD action comes close on the heels of the BJP’s decision to depute former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson Najma Heptulla to the committee.

That the fear of a split within the RJD ranks is real is clear from the fact that a day after the Bill was introduced, Lalu had fielded Yadav to attack it. Speaking to the media, the RJD deputy leader described the introduction of the Bill amidst disorder as “a murder of the democratic values”.

He added: “This is no way to introduce the Bill.” Charging the Government with the addition of “a shameful chapter to the book of Parliament”, he said, “If they had the courage, they should have introduced it in the Lok Sabha.”

“This will pose a bigger problem than the Indo-US nuclear deal,” he said underling that the party had not changed its stand. “We will oppose it in the present form and support only when our demand to include separate quota for women belonging to OBC, SC, ST and minorities is accepted,” he added.

“Our strategy includes everything,” he had said when asked whether the RJD would go to the extent of withdrawing support to the UPA. While that may be a far cry if seen in the context of Lalu’s political options, it is clear the RJD chief is besieged from both sides– the Congress on one side and his Mandal bandwagon fellow-travellers — SP and JD(U) — on the other. He would find it difficult to swing either way.