Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responds to Rahul Gandhi’s letter to PM Narendra Modi, offers ‘new deal’ to help women

As part of this new deal, we should approve, in both Houses of Parliament, the Women Reservation Bill, the law prohibiting Triple Talaq and imposing penal consequence on those who violate the law, and the law prohibiting Nikah Halala, writes Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has written a letter to Congress president Rahul Gandhi over the latter’s demand of the government passing the Women’s Reservation Bill. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader has asked the Gandhi scion to offer a “new deal” to Indian women “to ensure equality and adequate representation”.

“As part of this new deal, we should approve, in both Houses of Parliament, the Women Reservation Bill, the law prohibiting Triple Talaq and imposing penal consequence on those who violate the law, and the law prohibiting Nikah Halala,” said Prasad in the letter.

The Law Minister further pointed that the bill was originally proposed by NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He further said that even when the previous UPA government re-introduced the bill, the BJP stood in support of it and had it passed in the Rajya Sabha.

He accused the then UPA government of not making efforts to pass the bill in Lok Sabha. According to Prasad, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government welcomes Rahul Gandhi’s initiative to support the bill, it would also like to understand why the bill was not taken up by the previous Congress-led UPA government for three years.

This comes after the Congress president wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking passage of the women’s reservation bill. He had written, “I write to you to request your support to ensure the passage of the women's reservation bill in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.”

"Given that fact that the BJP and its allies have a majority in the Lok Sabha, all this landmark legislation requires to become a reality is your support. I am sure, it will not be withheld,” he had further said.

Sharing the letter on microblogging site Twitter, the Gandhi scion had written, “Our PM says he’s a crusader for women’s empowerment? Time for him to rise above party politics, walk-his-talk & have the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by Parliament. The Congress offers him its unconditional support.”