NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday came down heavily on the Congress party for trying to take credit for championing the idea of women's reservation after the Narendra Modi government introduced a bill ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The Union Home Minister also alleged that the Grand Old Party - Congress - was actually ''never serious'' about women's reservation and it was doing ''stunts'' to take credit for the historic step taken by the Modi government.


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The veteran BJP leader posted on X, ''Across the length and breadth of India, people are rejoicing the introduction of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament. It shows the unwavering commitment of the Modi Government to empower women.'' "Sadly, the Opposition is unable to digest this. And, what is more shameful is that except for tokenism, Congress has never been serious about women's reservations. Either they let legislation lapse or their friendly parties prevented the Bill from being tabled. Their double standards will never be hidden, whatever stunts they try to take credit."


 



 


Earlier in Lok Sabha, Amit Shah intervened in the speech of Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, saying that he had made two factually incorrect statements in the House on the Women’s Reservation Bill and asked the latter to withdraw his statement or bring forth evidence and present it on the table in the House.


Chowdhury, during the Parliament special session on Tuesday, said the women’s reservation bill was passed in the Lok Sabha and added that the bill introduced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was still pending in the Lower House.


Earlier today, urging Rajya Sabha members to pass the Bill - ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ unanimously when it comes to the House, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is imperative that women should have a role in policy-making, ensuring women that the Centre is committed to make this bill a law.


"Today a bill has been introduced in the Lok Sabha. After discussion, it will come here also. Today we are taking an important step towards women's empowerment," PM Modi said in Rajya Sabha. 


"Yesterday in the Cabinet meeting Women Reservation Bill was passed. Calling September 19 a “historic day” he said that in every sector, women are moving forward and it is important that in policy-making our mothers, sisters, and women should move forward and give their contribution. Not only their contribution but we want them to play a vital role in every sector. I assure all the women that we are committed to making this bill a law," he added. 


He said the Bill would strengthen democracy and appealed to members to pass it unanimously. Meanwhile, PM Modi while addressing the Lok Sabha said that the government is bringing a new Bill to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state Legislative Assemblies and that God has given him the opportunity to take forward the task of women empowerment.


Making his first speech in the new building of Parliament, the Prime Minister said the government has decided to bring Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.


"Discussion on Women's Reservation Bill happened for a long time. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime Women's Reservation Bill was introduced several times but there was not enough majority to pass the Bill, and because of this this dream remained incomplete. Today, God has given me the opportunity to take this forward...Our government is bringing a new Bill today on Women's participation in both Houses," PM Modi said in Lok Sabha.


The Women Reservation Bill that seeks to guarantee 33 per quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced as the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill by the Union law minister. This was the first agenda of the day taken up by the Lower House in the new Parliament building.


Women’s Reservation Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010 and it was not taken up in Lok Sabha and lapsed in the lower House of Parliament. The five-day special session of the Parliament began on Monday.