Parties push for passage of Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament session

Several political parties on Sunday made a clear case for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill during the five-day parliamentary session that began on Monday, with the government saying an “appropriate decision will be taken at an appropriate time.” .

At an all-party meeting convened by the government on the eve of the session, several leaders said the long-pending bill should be tabled and hoped it could be passed by consensus. The bill seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

After the meeting, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said an “appropriate decision would be taken at the appropriate time” regarding the parties’ demand for the bill. The minister said tributes were paid at the all-party meeting to security force personnel who lost their lives in Kashmir.

On September 13, four security forces personnel – Colonel Manpreet Singh, commander of the 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Ashish Dhonchak, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier – were killed by terrorists in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said all opposition parties were demanding its passage in this parliamentary session.

BJP ally and NCP leader Praful Patel said, “We appeal to the government to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill in this parliamentary session. » “We hope that the women’s reservation bill will be adopted by consensus if it is tabled in Parliament,” he added.

Patel also said that Parliament would move to the new building on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. However, some regional parties have demanded quotas for backward classes and scheduled castes as part of overall reservation for women, sources said. This was a major sticking point when the bill passed earlier.

BJD leader Pinaki Misra said a new era should begin with the new Parliament building and the Women’s Reservation Bill should be passed. Chowdhury told reporters that the government had informed them that it was a regular session of Parliament.

“Only the government knows what its intentions are. It could surprise everyone with a new program,” he said, adding that issues such as rising prices, unemployment and the situation on the border with the China were raised by his party during the meeting.

Several regional parties, including the BJD and BRS, also pushed for the tabling of the women’s reservation bill. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, the Deputy Leader of the House in Lok Sabha; Union Minister Piyush Goyal, leader of the House of Representatives in Rajya Sabha; and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi represented the government at the meeting.

Former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader HD Deve Gowda, DMK’s Kanimozhi, TDP’s Ram Mohan Naidu, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, BJD’s Sasmit Patra, BRS’s K Keshava Rao , YSR Congress Party’s V Vijayasai Reddy, RJD’s Manoj Anil Hegde of Jha and JD(U) and SP’s Ram Gopal Yadav were also among those who attended the meeting.