Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar conducts proceedings in the House during a special session of the Parliament, in New Delhi, on Tuesday, September 19. Photo: PTI
LIVE | Day 4 in Parliament - RS unanimously passes Women's Reservation Bill
All the 215 MPs voted in favour the bill, and no members voted against it
The special session of the Parliament continues today (September 21) a day after the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha. Today, Advocates Amendment Bill, 2023 is on the agenda in the Lok Sabha.
In the Rajya Saba today, the Women's Reservation Bill will be taken up. Follow all the updates from both Houses, live, here. What happened in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha yesterday? Do visit this page for all the updates.
Live Updates
- 21 Sept 2023 1:28 PM IST
Former PM HD Deve Gowda speaks on Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha
VIDEO | Former PM HD Deve Gowda speaks on Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/1j5NgJo5q4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2023 - 21 Sept 2023 1:21 PM IST
Unjust to carve out one-third seats from the existing reserved SC and ST seats: Manoj Jha
Manoj Kumar Jha (RJD) said it is unjust to carve out one-third seats from the existing reserved SC and ST seats. He argues that women from SC and ST, also OBCs, face far more challenges than any other and so their reservation should be over and above existing categories.
Jha urged govt to broaden the canvas of reservation, send the Bill to a select committee and introduce provision for reservation for OBC women. Jha said the real revolutionary step would be to carve out a new quota that is over and above existing reservation for SC and ST.
VIDEO | "There is still a chance to send it (Women's Reservation Bill) to the Select Committee and incorporate SCs, STs and OBCs," says RJD MP @manojkjhadu in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/LJjPSleJkt
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 21, 2023Jha also said that the Parliament has to be representative of all sections of the society, not just of some privileged communities. The women reservation bill should also reflect that diversity and have provision for SC, ST, OBC and also minorities' reservation
- 21 Sept 2023 1:14 PM IST
'Declare September as Women's History month'
Vijaysai Reddy of YSRCP expresses "unequivocal and unwavering" support for the Bill along with request to introduce one-third women reservation in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils also.Reddy also urged govt to declare September as 'Women's History month' - 21 Sept 2023 1:11 PM IST
BRS' Rao objects to provisions of census and delimitation
Keshava Rao (BRS) says his party supports the Bill but objects to the provisions of census and delimitation. Rao says if Census was so crucial for the government, it could have used the 2011 Census figures as benchmark. Rao wonders if fresh Census has been introduced as a precondition for implementation of the Bill because post-Census and fresh Delimitation, number of seats in states from southern India will go down because population of southern states, including Telangana, is less (compared to Hindi Heartland states like UP, MP, Bihar). - 21 Sept 2023 1:09 PM IST
AAP's Pathak: Women's quota Bill was Rajiv Gandhi's idea
Sandeep Pathak (AAP): This is an idea that was introduced first by Rajiv Gandhi in 1987... It has taken over 35 years for this Bill to come and we were disappointed to see that this Bill is a betrayal, it is only an election jumla... this Bill has 3 parts - first for 33percent reservation, second for commencement which says first census will be done, then Delimitation will be done and then this Bill will be implemented. JO Nadda has also said this Bill will be implemented in 2029. So we don't know when really this will come into effect. The 3rd part is about rotation and that provision is also absolutely vague... the way this Bill was brought, with so much secrecy, is not correct.Pathak: The only intention of the government is to divert attention from Adani issue and its other failures. They created this confusion over one nation, one election and now this Bill. They have neither prepared for this Bill now do they have the intention of implementing it. They want credit for passing the Bill but they don't want to implement it. What information will you get from census and Delimitation that will change how this reservation is implemented?Pathak: no other earlier version of this Bill had this provision for census and Delimitation.Pathak says BJP has no intention to implement the Bill because the party is divided on women reservation. He quotes past statements by Yogi Adityanath, Amit Malviya and other leaders who had resisted the Bill in the past and says this opposition to the Bill from within the BJP is the reason why the party only wants to take credit for passing the Bill but has no intention to see the reservation being rolled out.Pathak: Beti/Naari Bachao is mere packaging by the BJP, when you open the packaging you get Brij Bhushan Singh. - 21 Sept 2023 1:07 PM IST
DMK's Somu speaks
Kanimozhi Somu (DMK): We support women reservation, it is a matter of right not favour to women...Somu: laments that the government waited 9.5 years to bring the Bill and was more focused in pushing through controversial Bills like the farm laws and abrogation of Article 370 through its tenure.Somu: Sad that the country's women will have to wait at least till 2029 to benefit from this reservation. Somu appeals that the Bill is amended to enable immediate implementation, failing which she asks the minister to give a definite timeline for the Bill's implementation. - 21 Sept 2023 1:05 PM IST
Dola Sen (Trinamool) speaks next
Sen: Though this Bill is 9.5 years too late, though it is coming just before elections, we will support it because it is for women empowerment.Sen objects to Bill's provisions that require Census and Delimitation to be completed before implementation of the Bill. Wonders if this Bill is another jumla. Sen says she fears women reservation will be added to the long list of election jumlas given by BJP since 2014. - 21 Sept 2023 12:09 PM IST
Nadda: BJP not taking political advantage over women quota bill
Nadda: Indian women, from ancient times, were always liberated and independent though in the medieval and British colonial period their status changed because of purdah system and other similar practices... the 21st century belongs to women and Indian women are in leading roles in every field be it space research, sports, or others.Nadda: I first became an MLA in 1993 and that was the year when women were given reservation in panchayats. Back then men would undermine women in these roles, they would say these women don't know anything. Today, research shows that women leaders are more accessible, more reliable and more responsive. Women run households so they also know how to make budgets and how to be sensitive. I do not say all this to undermine men.Nadda: Some people are saying implement this Bill immediately. I want to clarify that there is a way to do things constitutionally. We have to follow the Constitution. How can the government decide which seats will go to women. If the government decides to do it - if we reserve Wayanad, if we reserve Amethi, if we reserve Kalaburgi, then what will happen.... we want reservation through a quasi-judicial body, after consultation and public hearings.... if you support us today, I assure you that in 2029, more women will come to Parliament under reservation category.LoP Mallikarjun Kharge intervenes. Kharge: there is no problem with the amendment but this provision to implement in or after 2029 is problematic. When you have open reservation in panchayats, why can't you have the same scheme with women reservation. It is not illegal, there will be no challenge in judiciary.Nadda: I want to make this clear, the BJP's intention is not to take political advantage but only to empower women. If we wanted political advantage we would have immediate implementation but that is not our goal. This is why I am saying, this (after Census and delimitation) is the only way and the right way. You people (Opposition) who are opposing are sitting in Opposition because you did not know how to run a government. When Modi does something, it is foolproof and beyond challenge.Nadda: There are political statements being made that OBCs aren't getting their rights in this Bill. Some said only 3 out of 90 secretaries are OBCs. I want to ask them why they didn't do anything on recommendations of Kaka Kalekar report, in Mandal report? Only after SC ordered you gave OBC reservation in jobs and government... you cannot be a tutored leader, you can't become a leader because of NGOs. You have to understand people. You use words like you are shocked to see only 3 OBC secretaries. When you don't read, when you only come with tutored lectures, you are bound to be shocked. I want to tell you that we gave India the first OBC PM. 27 percent of our MLAs are OBCs, 40 percent of our MLCs are OBCs, 29 percent of our MPs are OBCs. We have more OBC MPs in Lok Sabha than the total number of MPs that the Congress has in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and you, who abuse OBCs not once but many times, are talking about OBC representation? - 21 Sept 2023 11:43 AM IST
Nadda lauds Modi for women quota bill
BJP president JP Nadda: This Bill was passed unanimously in LS yesterday and I am confident it will pass unanimously in this House also. It is our PM, Narendra Modi who has made this Bill, which had been pending for decades, to be enacted today. The title of the Bill - Nari Shakti Vandan - shows our respect for women. There is a perception among some of us that when things are done for women, it is an obligation. We do not think like that. We see women as Shakti, as Devi, and not as someone who is weak and helpless. - 21 Sept 2023 11:38 AM IST
Ranjan: Women quota bill should be implemented immediately
Ranjan: the only power and equality you have given to your women MPs and women ministers is to keep quiet when our women in Manipur, our women wrestlers, our dalit, tribal and backward women face atrocities and crimes. I support this Bill because it is a historic day for women empowerment but I want that this Bill is implemented immediately and without this hurdle of Census and delimitation.
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