Janata Dal parliamentary party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who moved the amendments, said his six-member party in the Lok Sabha will press for them, seeking a division if necessary. The quota for these sections should be proportionate to their overall population, he said.

He said the amendments were permissible and could be carried, a point made clear by the government too. JD sources said irrespective of whether the amendments were carried or not, the party would vote for the Bill. All the same, the party is optimistic about the amendments being cleared, as sections of most parties are in favour of a quota for OBCs, SCs and minorities.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, however, condemned the manner in which the Bill was introduced in theHouse today. ``It was undemocratic and a good example of the fascist ways of this government,'' he said, adding that the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and other like-minded parties would mobilise support on this issue.

He also criticised the Congress for supporting the Bill, which he said was a ``conspiracy'' to deny the backward classes and minorities their due.

``We are not against reservation for women. But there are many in all the parties who fear that the Bill will create a lot of complications. Moreover, there is the danger of this measure being exploited by men, who will send their wives to the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies to further their own interests,'' he said.