LIVE | Day 4 in Parliament - RS unanimously passes Women's Reservation Bill

We do not do politics on women's empowerment: Sitharaman

Some people are accusing us for being busy earlier with Article 370 and so we didn't bring this Bill, I was to say, removing Article 370 also had a very important element of women... women didn't have property rights in J&K till we removed Article 370. Same was the case with our decision to abolish triple talaq. We do not do politics on women, women empowerment is an article of faith for the PM and us. Between 2014 and 2019, this is what we were doing aside from many other things, Ujjwala, Swachchta Abhiyan, etc, she said.

Some members have raised the issue of why a special session for this Bill. We have just come to a new Parliament in New India and we wanted this session to be marked by the most important legislation we have passed, said Sitharaman.

This amendment has been very thoughtfully crafted: Sitharaman

This amendment has been very thoughtfully crafted. I do credit Narasimha Rao's government for bringing 33 per cent reservation at panchayat level which created a ground swell of support for women reservation. Today several panchayats have 50 percent women reservation, said Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

To Members who are asking why it took 9.5 years, I have to say we have to have consultations, we have to lay fundamental bricks of social and economic empowerment. Some members have said why not reservation for women in RS but that is just not going to work in indirect elections. Women Reservation can only work in direct elections, she added.

Cong does not know the procedure required for reserving seats: BJP's Mahesh Jethmalani

The Congress wants to know today why we are not implementing this Bill now. Fact is, it can't be implemented now because current reservation and Delimitation goes by the population of 1971. You need latest data because population has more than doubled since 1971. The procedure of identifying reserved categories can't be avoided by the EC. Identifying reserved seats can't be done by arbitrary diktat of the EC as the constitutional requirement is for setting up a Delimitation commission, conducting public hearings, etc. You people do not know the procedure required for reserving seats, said BJP's Mahesh Jethmalani.

BJP's K. Laxman claims Cong shedding crocodile tears for OBCs

The Congress is today shedding crocodile tears for OBCs. Fact is that the Congress has, from Nehru's time to Rahul Gandhi now, always been an anti-OBC party, said K. Laxman of the BJP.

BJP's Biplab Deb praises Modi in RS

Biplab Deb of the BJP said that the only person who has brought in true social and economic justice in this country is Narendra Modi. Kapil Sibal said the PM and Home Minister should assure the House that they will resign if reservation is not implemented by 2029. This means the Congress has already conceded defeat in the 2024 elections, he added.

Anbumani Ramadoss wants reservation for women in judiciary as well

Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK said, "I have two requests to the govt. Bring in OBC women into this reservation, you can make the amendment now or in the winter session. My second request is to bring reservation in the judiciary also. Even 75 years after independence, we don't have a woman CJI.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy speaks on the Women's Reservation Bill

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Women's Reservation Bill, Union Minister G.Kishan Reddy says, "...After the inauguration of the new Parliament building, we wanted to dedicate this building to women...This will be a historical building...To introduce this bill on Ganesh Chaturthi was the… pic.twitter.com/YTngy2s85O

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023

BJP MP Tejasvi Surya speaks on Women's Reservation Bill

#WATCH | Delhi: On Women's Reservation Bill, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya says, "The Congress Party thinks that every other political party and every other political leader behaves like the Congress Party's leaders do, with fake intent and duplicity of approach. Women empowerment for the… pic.twitter.com/PyIYq51HAa

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023

Women's Bill implementation can take 15-20 years: DMK MP Kanimozhi

#WATCH | Delhi: On the Women's Reservation Bill, DMK MP Kanimozhi says, We all thought it would be a golden moment because we thought it would be implemented as soon as possible but now we don't know. The implementation can take 10, 15 or 20 years because it has a lot of… pic.twitter.com/FW5KlWosxR

— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2023

BJP leader Khushbu Sundar speaks on Women's Reservation Bill