Rajya Sabha to be adjourned today, to meet soon for 'important Bill': Rijiju

Amid indications that the government may bring a Bill to increase seats in the Lok Sabha to implement reservation for women in the legislature, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (April 2) informed the Rajya Sabha that the House will be adjourned and would meet again soon for a "very important" Bill.

In the Upper House, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh asked about the government's plan. Rijiju confirmed that the Budget session will not be adjourned sine die today.

What Rijiju said

Rijiju, in a response, said that the Upper House would take up the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill for passing on Thursday, which was scheduled to be the last day of the Budget session of Parliament.

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He added, "We have certain important issues, we have shared this with the Opposition also. We are going to have a very important Bill in next 2-3 weeks".

"Today, government will propose for the House to be adjourned, and we will meet very soon; purpose is known to the members," he said.

The government has been holding back-channel talks with the Opposition to bring at least two Bills to implement the women's reservation law and delink delimitation from the Census to increase seats in the Lok Sabha from the present 546 to 861.

Demand for all-party meeting

Ramesh, however, said that the Opposition has demanded that the all-party meeting that the government intends to call should be held once the Assembly elections are over on April 29.

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Rijiju, however, replied that the government is bound to fulfil its promise given to the women of the country.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, questioned if the government was bound by a timeline, then why didn't it introduce it in 2023 itself? Kharge points out that even if the government wanted to bring the amendments in this session, it could have done so in the normal course by suspending some other listed business.

Rijiju responded by saying that the government has come up with a "very simple proposal that does not have a single controversial point on which the Opposition can oppose".

AAP MP questions govt

AAP MP Sanjay Singh also questioned the government's intention, saying the amendments are being moved by the BJP purely for electoral gains in the upcoming assembly polls.

Kharge said that the Congress is in support of reservation for women in the legislature, but the proposed Bills are important and have long-term implications.

He also alleged that the government is trying to gain political mileage by bringing the Bills as states are going to the polls. Rijiju, however, denied the charge and said the issue should not be politicised.