PM apologises to Ansari

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday apologised to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the “disrespect shown to you” by MPs opposed to the women’s reservation bill.

“I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you. These things should never have happened. They have happened, and we have to reflect how to we have to streamline our functioning in future so that these things don’t take place,” he said in the upper house.

In the same breath, the prime minister acknowledged the role played by “all political parties whose cooperation has made it possible for us to enact this historic legislation”.

On Monday and Tuesday, MPs from four parties including the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal came out strongly against the bill, insisting that there should be special reservation of seats for Dalit, tribal and Muslim women.