The Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks 33 per cent quota for women in Parliament and state legislatures, was tabled before the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

There was high drama as Samajwadi Party MPs tried to snatch copies of the Bill from the Law Minister and Congress members tried to protect him by forming a human chain.

The Bill shall apply to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) as well.

Seats to be reserved in rotation will be determined by draw of lots and a seat shall be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections, the Bill says.

Opponents of the Bill say political parties should reserve election tickets for women and legislatures must not have any such quota.

Reservation will harm the women's movement by creating a new form of "state-sponsored feminism". Rotational reservation of one-third seats would lead to a "grave uncertainty" for sitting male MPs, they say.