Cutting across party lines, Rajya Sabha MPs support women's reservation bill

Cutting across party lines Rajya Sabha members on Thursday supported the bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lower House of Parliament and state assemblies even as some opposition members termed it an election gimmickDuring the debate in the Upper House on the 128th Constitution Amendment Bill that seeks to reserve a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women members also highlighted the need to accelerate the process instead of waiting for a fresh census and delimitation exerciseTaking part in the discussion Elamaram Kareem of CPIM while supporting the bill said the BJP had promised to bring the womens reservation bill in 2014 and in 2019 as well but did not take any action He held the ruling party responsible for womens reservation losing nine yearsThis is an election gimmick by the BJP after losing elections in Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh besides facing defeat in the civic polls in Delhi polls he saidCiting violence against women in strifetorn Manipur and allegations of sexual harassment by women wrestlers Kareem alleged the government cared little for womenRam Nath Thakur of the JDU questioned the timing of bringing the Nari Shakti Vandan AdhiniyamBharat Rashtra Samithi BRS MP K Keshava Rao stressed the need to accelerate the process for womens reservation and said the 2011 Census could be taken as the benchmark He urged immediate appointment of the delimitation commission MDMKs Vaiko also echoed similar sentimentsSaroj Pandey of the BJP said it was unfortunate that questions have been raised on the timing and the intent of bringing the bill As the country celebrates Amrit Kaal this was the ideal moment for such a legislation she saidAsom Gana Parishad MP Birendra Prasad Baishya noted that the womens reservation bill has come at a proper time after failed attempts in the pastJDS leader H D Devegowda also supported the bill and recollected steps taken by him for womens reservation while he was the chief minister of Karnataka and also the prime ministerManoj Jha of the RJD said demanded that the womens reservation bill be referred to a select committee to consider extending similar benefits to Other Backward ClassesV Vijayasai Reddy YSRCP also supported the bill and said the reservation for women must also be extended to Rajya Sabha and state legislative councilsKC Venugopal of the Congress sought immediate implementation of the legislation He also sought reservation for the OBC women under the billVenugopal claimed the Narendra Modi government did not make any effort to bring the bill in the last nine years and it is due to the political calculations that the government has brought the legislation now Lifetransforming legislations should come from the heart and not from the head he said in the Upper HouseRajani Ashokrao Patil of the Congress and Mausam Noor of the TMC also supported the billSulata Deo of the BJD Subhas Chandra Bose Pilli of the YSRCP Ravichandra Vaddiraju of the BRS and K Ravindra Kumar of the TDP also participated in the discussionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever