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  India   All India  17 Jul 2018  Rahul Gandhi asks Modi to pass women’s quota bill

Rahul Gandhi asks Modi to pass women’s quota bill

THE ASIAN AGE. | SREEPARNA CHAKRABARTY
Published : Jul 17, 2018, 3:29 am IST
Updated : Jul 17, 2018, 4:49 am IST

In 2010, the UPA government got the bill passed in Rajya Sabha with the BJP’s support but in Lok Sabha the RJD, SP and BSP stalled the bill.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi (Photo: PTI)
 Congress president Rahul Gandhi (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: In a bid to blunt the political challenge thrown by the ruling BJP on the triple talaq bill, the Congress on Monday pitched for immediate passage of another crucial legislation on gender justice — the Women’s Reservation Bill —  and reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the BJP’s 2014 poll promise to do so.

Upping the ante ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament which begins on Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to Mr Modi asking him to get the bill — which ensures 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies — passed in this very session and promised his party’s “unconditional” support for it.

“Our PM says he’s a crusader for women’s empowerment. Time for him to rise above party politics, walk-his-talk and have the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by Parliament. The Congress offers him its unconditional support,” Mr Gandhi tweeted and attached his letter to Mr Modi.

In 2010, the UPA government got the bill passed in Rajya Sabha with the BJP’s support but in Lok Sabha the RJD, SP and BSP stalled the bill. In 2014, when the 15th LS was dissolved, the bill lapsed. When the Lok Sabha is dissolved, all business, including bills, pending before it lapse. They must be reintroduced in the newly-constituted Lok Sabha to be pursued further.

women

The bill has been introduced in Parliament several times since 1996 but has not been passed. Its critics say it will end up helping female relatives of politicians to enter public space. They also seek one-third quota for SC, ST and OBCs within the proposed reserved seats for women.

In the current 16th Lok Sabha, out of 536 members only 66 are women. In Rajya Sabha, there are 28 women out of 244 members. The 15th Lok Sabha had 58 women MPs.

After Mr Gandhi’s letter to Mr Modi, the BJP accused the Congress of adopting “double standards” on women quota bill  by siding with those who were opposed to the bill.

The BJP asked if the Congress could assure support of its allies, in an apparent reference to parties like Lalu Prasad Yadav-led  RJD and Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party. The BJP’s obvious reference was to support for the bill in the Rajya Sabha where the ruling party lacks a clear majority as the saffron enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha. In the 244-member Rajya Sabha, the BJP is the largest group with 69 MPs while the Congress has 50 and the TMC and the AIADMK have 13 each, besides others.

The Congress has been accused by the BJP of stalling the pro-women triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha. Recently, Mr Modi also accused the Congress of being a party of “Muslim men” as it opposed the passage of the triple talaq bill.

The Congress contends that triple talaq had already been banned by the Supreme Court and its opposition is only to the  tough penal provisions for men in the proposed law.

Congress sources said on Monday that its strategy to raise the Women’s Reservation Bill ahead of the Monsoon Session was aimed at blunting the BJP’s accusations of being a gender insensitive party.

Addressing the media on women’s quota bill, Congress Mahila Morcha chief Sushmita Dev said on Monday, “It is sad that the Modi government, which has a brute majority, is not able to get the bill passed. We urge the government to immediately pass it”.

Mahila Morcha volunteers took out a jeep rally dressed in red attire from the Congress headquarters. Interestingly, all the vehicles were driven by the women party members.

The Congress also claims to have collected over 32 lakh signatures, of both men and women in support of the bill, which have also been submitted to the Prime Minister.

Tags: rahul gandhi, narendra modi
Location: India, Delhi, New Delhi