Jammu, March 6 (IANS) In the backdrop of Women's Reservation Bill being presented in the Rajya Sabha Monday, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah Saturday said that women in India need 50 percent share in real power.

'It's high time that women, who have been neglected for such a long time from holding real power, get 50 percent share in power,' Abdullah, who is also the National Conference president, told reporters on the sidelines of a book release function here.

He was reacting to political parties opposing the Women's Reservation Bill which will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha March 8. The Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) are opposing the bill, though JD-U leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Saturday came out in open support of the move.

'Thirty-three percent reservation is a good start and I hope the bill will be passed,' said Farooq, who is also a member of the Rajya Sabha.

'Gradually, I believe, they would get 50 percent share in real power,' the minister said.

Speaking about attacks on Indian interests in Afghanistan, he said: 'India will continue its work in Afghanistan. That's my belief.'