Parliament Archives - Lokmarg

Corruption, Bribery By Legislators Erode Probity In Public Life: SC

By LokMarg 4th March 2024

The Supreme Court on Monday held that “corruption and bribery by members of the legislatures erode probity in public life” while overturning a previous ruling that offered immunity to lawmakers from charges of accepting bribes for casting votes or making speeches in Parliament or state legislatures.

The Supreme Court’s seven-judge Constitution Bench overruled the 1998 PV Narasimha Rao judgment case, which granted immunity to members of Parliament and members of the legislative assembly from prosecution for taking bribes for voting in Parliament or state assemblies.

“Corruption and bribery by members of the legislatures erode probity in public life,” the bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said. The other judges on the bench included Justices AS Bopanna, MM Sundresh, PS Narasimha, JB Pardiwala, Sanjay Kumar, and Manoj Misra.

The bench strongly opined that “the offence of bribery is agnostic to the performance of the agreed action and crystallises on the exchange of illegal gratification.”

“It does not matter whether the vote is cast in the agreed direction or if the vote is cast at all. The offence of bribery is complete at the point in time when the legislator accepts the bribe,” the court viewed.

Overruling the judgement given in the PV Narasimha Rao case, the court said that the interpretation given in that judgement is contrary to the text and purpose of Articles 105 and 194.

The interpretation placed in the judgment of the majority in the PV Narasimha Rao case (supra) results in a paradoxical outcome where a legislator is conferred with immunity when they accept a bribe and follow through by voting in the agreed direction, the court said, adding further that on the other hand, a legislator who agrees to accept a bribe, but eventually decides to vote independently will be prosecuted. “Such an interpretation is contrary to the text and purpose of Articles 105 and 194,” the court ruled.

“In the course of this judgment, while analysing the reasoning of the majority and minority in PV Narasimha Rao (supra) we have independently adjudicated on all the aspects of the controversy, namely, whether, by virtue of Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution, a Member of Parliament or the Legislative Assembly, as the case may be, can claim immunity from prosecution on a charge of bribery in a criminal court. We disagree with and overrule the judgment of the majority on this aspect,” the top court ordered.

“The judgment of the majority in PV Narasimha Rao (supra), which grants immunity from prosecution to a member of the legislature who has allegedly engaged in bribery for casting a vote or speaking has wide ramifications on public interest, probity in public life and parliamentary democracy. There is a grave danger of this Court allowing an error to be perpetuated if the decision is not reconsidered,” the court observed.

“Unlike the House of Commons in the UK, India does not have ‘ancient and undoubted’ privileges which were vested after a struggle between Parliament and the King. Privileges in pre-independence India were governed by statute in the face of a reluctant colonial government. The statutory privilege transitioned to a constitutional privilege after the commencement of the Constitution,” the court said.

“An individual member of the legislature cannot assert a claim of privilege to seek immunity under Articles 105 and 194 from prosecution on a charge of bribery in connection with a vote or speech in the legislature. Such a claim to immunity fails to fulfil the two-fold test that the claim is tethered to the collective functioning of the House and that it is necessary to the

discharge of the essential duties of a legislator,” it added.

Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution seek to sustain an environment in which debate and deliberation can take place within the legislature. This purpose is destroyed when a member is induced to vote or speak in a certain manner because of an act of bribery, the top court said.

The jurisdiction which is exercised by a competent court to prosecute a criminal offence and the authority of the House to take action for a breach of discipline in relation to the acceptance of a bribe by a member of the legislature exist in distinct spheres. The scope, purpose and consequences of the court exercising jurisdiction in relation to a criminal offence and the authority of the House to discipline its members are different, the top court said

“The potential of misuse against individual members of the legislature is neither enhanced nor diminished by recognizing the jurisdiction of the court to prosecute a member of the legislature who is alleged to have indulged in an act of bribery,” the court said. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Budget’24: One Cr Households To Obtain 300 Units Free Rooftop Solar Power

By LokMarg 1st February 2024

The central government announced a slew of measures for the promotion of green growth and renewable energy while tabling the Interim Budget 2024-2025 in Parliament on Thursday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Budget speech today, said that through rooftop solarization, one crore households will be enabled to obtain up to 300 units of free electricity every month.

This scheme followed the resolve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the historic Pran Pratishta of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

According to the government, the benefits expected from this solarisation are savings up to Rs 15,000-18,000 crore annually for households from free solar electricity and selling the surplus to the distribution companies; charging of electric vehicles; entrepreneurship opportunities for a large number of vendors for supply and installation; and employment opportunities for the youth with technical skills in manufacturing, installation and maintenance.

To meet the commitment of ‘net-zero’ by 2070, Finance Minister Sitharaman proposed viability gap funding for harnessing offshore wind energy potential for initial capacity of one giga-watt, coal gasification and liquefaction capacity of 100 MT to be set up by 2030.

This will also help in reducing imports of natural gas, methanol, and ammonia.

Phased mandatory blending of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) in Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for transport and Piped Natural Gas (PNG) for domestic purposes to be mandated.

Financial assistance is to be provided for the procurement of biomass aggregation machinery to support collection.

Further, she said her government will expand and strengthen the e-vehicle ecosystem by supporting manufacturing and charging infrastructure adding that greater adoption of e-buses for public transport networks will be encouraged through a payment security mechanism.

To promote the green growth, Sitharaman proposed a new scheme of

bio-manufacturing and bio-foundry which will provide environment-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable polymers, bio-plastics, bio-pharmaceuticals and bio-agri-inputs.

“This scheme will also help in transforming today’s consumptive manufacturing paradigm to the one based on regenerative principles,” she added.

The interim budget, tabled today, will take care of the financial needs of the intervening period until a government is formed after the Lok Sabha polls after which a full budget will be presented by the new government in July.

With this Budget Presentation, Sitharaman equalled the record set by former Prime Minister Morarji Desai, who as finance minister, presented five annual budgets and one interim budget between 1959 and 1964.

The Budget Session of Parliament commenced on Wednesday with President Droupadi Murmu addressing a joint sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

The Indian economy is projected to grow close to 7 per cent in the financial year 2024-25 which starts this April, said the Ministry of Finance in a review report.

India’s economy grew 7.2 per cent in 2022-23 and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22. The Indian economy is expected to grow 7.3 per cent in the current financial year 2023-24, remaining the fastest-growing major economy. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

CISF To Be Deployed At Parliament Soon

By LokMarg 23rd January 2024

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will be deployed at the Parliament soon, so the familiarisation training of its 140 personnel has already started, officials said on Tuesday.

As per the officials, these 140 CISF personnel are to take over the frisking of visitors and baggage at the entrance of the Parliament.

Officials said, “It is expected that the CISF may be deployed at the Parliament from the upcoming Budget Session beginning on January 31.”

With its fresh major deployment, the CISF would be the new entrant in Parliament security setup, given its proven expertise in access control, frisking, and scanning at airports across the country, Delhi Metro, and vital installations, including monuments with high footfall.

The development comes months after a serious security breach in Parliament that saw two people jump into the Lok Sabha chamber from the visitor’s gallery and pump yellow smoke from canisters packed in their shoes during the Winter Session of Parliament held in December last year. Eight security personnel were suspended over the incident.

Soon after the incident, the CISF was given “in principle” approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to conduct a joint survey of Parliament premises and its buildings for “regular deployment” of CISF security and fire wings “on a comprehensive pattern.”

The CISF currently protects 358 establishments across the country and is also engaged in VIP security. It is also offering security consulting to various entities.

The final approval of the CISF security deployment plan and induction would come from the Lok Sabha secretariat, which oversees the security of Parliament premises. As of now, the security agencies involved in guarding Parliament are the Parliament Security Service, Delhi Police, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the Parliament Duty Group.

Personnel from these individual agencies are on deputation to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The involvement of the CISF in managing access control, frisking, and screening of baggage and articles at airports, metros, and crowded public monuments suggests it is considered the most capable force for these tasks, though it’s not explicitly stated whether it will replace any existing agencies.

The CISF also has expertise with all the modern gadgets for access control and screening, for which a pressing need is being felt in the event of the December 13 security breach.

The CISF came into existence in 1969 to provide integrated security cover to certain sensitive public sector undertakings with a strength of only three battalions. The force has since grown into a premier multi-skilled organisation with a present strength of 1,77,075 personnel.

The CISF at present provides security cover to 358 establishments throughout the length and breadth of the country. The CISF also has its own fire wing, which provides services to 114 of the above establishments.

Currently, the CISF is also providing security cover at 68 airports.

The CISF security umbrella includes India’s most critical infrastructure facilities, like nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, and power plants.

In addition, the CISF also protects important government buildings, iconic heritage monuments, and the Delhi Metro.

The CISF also has a specialised VIP security vertical, providing round-the-clock security to important protectees.

After the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008, the mandate of the CISF was broadened to include providing security cover to private corporate establishments as well.

The CISF also provides security consulting services to private entities, and its services are much in demand. The CISF sets very high standards for itself, both in terms of the professional calibre of its personnel and in terms of adopting cutting-edge technology to enhance security.

The CISF is well equipped to successfully respond to any security threat, including terrorism. The hallmark of the force is to continuously evolve and reinvent itself to keep in tune with the changing security environment in the country.

The CISF is also the only Central Armed Police Force with a daily public interface–in the airports, in the Delhi Metro, and in the iconic monuments–and is hence very conscious of the requirement to balance security procedures with a people-friendly approach.

The CISF is committed to constantly upgrading its professional skills, and we welcome suggestions and feedback from the public as well as our clients to improve our services. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Dhankhar Hails Passage Of New Criminal Laws

By LokMarg 27th December 2023

Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday said that the new criminal laws passed by the Parliament have unshackled the Indian criminal justice system from the colonial legacy while keeping the focus on justice rather than punishment.

“Just a few days ago, three new criminal law bills received the assent of the President of India. The new laws have unshackled the Indian criminal justice system from the colonial legacy while keeping the focus on justice rather than punishment,” Dhankhar said.

Dhankhar was speaking after releasing a special postal cover to celebrate the 100th anniversary of legal luminary late Justice Konda Madhav Reddy at a college in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The programme was presided over by Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lt Governor of Puducherry.

“Friends, it (the passage of the laws) marks a monumental, revolutionary change from Dand Vidhan to Nyaya Vidhan,” he added.

Asserting that all three organs – the Judiciary, the Executive and the Legislature are performing commendably and catalyzing the unprecedented rise of the country, Dhankhar said that the legal landscape of the country has been undergoing a great affirmative change in recent months, which will have a tremendous positive impact on its progress, and on the welfare of one-sixth of humanity.

“During the past decade, significant strides have been made in the judicial system, emphasizing digitalization through the e-Courts Project and the National Judicial Data Grid. These have not only enhanced transparency and accessibility, but have resulted in a reduction in the pendency of cases. Major legal reforms included the establishment of Commercial Courts and amendments to arbitration laws, aiming at faster dispute resolution. Initiatives like National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) have been taken to strengthen legal aid mechanisms for the underprivileged sections of society, ensuring access to justice for all,” he added.

What is further noteworthy is that under the current Chief Justice of India, the Supreme Court has taken several critical steps including bringing justice to people in their own language, he said, adding that the SC has gone paperless, and even the Courts (including advocates) are performing paperless.

“99 per cent of the District Courts are connected to the respective High Courts, and the High Courts are moving towards a paperless ecosystem,” he said.

Dhankhar also said that the passing of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam by Parliament was another landmark in our legal landscape.

“This law marks a long-overdue measure that will give women their rightful space in our democracy, and amplify the voice of one-half of our society,” he added.

The Rajya Sabha on December 21 passed the three criminal bills–the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023; and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023–replacing the IPC, the CrPC and the Evidence Act. The bills were earlier passed by the Lok Sabha.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will have 358 sections (instead of 511 sections in the IPC). A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the bill, and the imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 of them.

The amount of the fine has been increased in 83 crimes and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty of community service has been introduced for six crimes and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the bill.

The bills were first introduced during the Monsoon session of Parliament in August. After the Standing Committee on Home Affairs made several recommendations, the government decided to withdraw the bills and introduced their redrafted versions last week. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

By Suspending 150 MPs, Govt Muffled Voices Of 60% Of India: Rahul

By LokMarg 22nd December 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that by suspending nearly 150 opposition MPs from Parliament, the government had muffled the voices of the people of their constituencies.

While speaking at the protest of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc here at Jantar Mantar against the bulk suspension of opposition MPs, the Congress leader cornered the Centre over ‘unemployment’.

He said that the two youths, carrying smoke canisters jumped into the Lok Sabha, earlier this month because they were jobless.

“A few days ago, 2-3 youths jumped inside the Parliament House, we all saw, they came inside and spread some smoke. All the BJP MPs ran away. First of all, how did those people come inside, they brought gas cylinders inside the Parliament. If they could bring that then they could have brought anything. The second question is why did they protest? The reason for this was unemployment. There is huge unemployment in the country. The youth of this country cannot get employment today,” he said.

The security breach happened on the anniversary of the 2001 Parliament terror attack. Two people–Sagar Sharma and Manoranjan D–jumped into the Lok Sabha chamber from the public gallery during Zero Hour, released yellow gas from canisters, and shouted anti-establishment slogans before being overpowered by the MPs.

The security lapse case, which has been at the center of discussion in the political aisle of the country since then, led to the suspension of 146 MPs from the Parliament’s Winter Session, which has been adjourned sine die, for creating a ruckus and disrupting proceedings in both Houses.

The opposition lawmakers were demanding a statement from Union Minister Amit Shah about the Parliament security breach incident.

The Congress leader went on to add that as per a survey, it was revealed that youth spend 7.30 hours a day on social media apps.

Rahul said that he asked surveyors to conduct a small survey to find out how many hours per day the youth of the country spend on their phones or social media platforms.

“After the survey, I was shocked to learn that youth spend 7.30 hours a day on social media apps,” Gandhi said.

Reacting to the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar’s mimicry row, he said that the media didn’t question about the suspension of nearly 150 MPs but highlighted that Rahul Gandhi was filming the act.

“Media says that MPs were sitting outside the Parliament and Rahul Gandhi filmed the video (of mimicry). The media did not ask the question why and how 150 MPs were suspended,” he said.

“These 150 people are not just individuals, they are the voice of the people of India. Every Member of Parliament brings lakhs of votes, you have not insulted just 150 people, you have silenced 60 percent of the people of India,” he added.

Meanwhile, another Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, said that the protest, under the banner ‘Save Democracy’, at Jantar Mantar, is send a message among people that whatever is happening is ‘wrong for the future of the country’.

“In the history of democracy in the world, 146 MPs have never been suspended… People should know that the democracy is in danger. The protest is to tell the people that whatever is happening is wrong for the future of the country… There is only one solution, people should change this government and bring the INDIA Alliance into power,” Tharoor told ANI.

Senior opposition leaders, including Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI-M’s Sitaram Yechury, and others, shared the dais to protest against the recent suspension of 146 opposition MPs. (ANI)

For more details visit us: https://lokmarg.com/

Owaisi Challenges Rahul To Contest Elections From Hyderabad

By LokMarg 25th September 2023

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday challenged Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to contest elections from Hyderabad and not Wayanad in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

The AIMIM MP was addressing a public gathering in his parliamentary constituency, Hyderabad.

Owaisi said that the Babri Masjid, in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, was demolished under the regime of the grand old party.

“I am challenging your leader (Rahul Gandhi) to contest elections from Hyderabad and not Wayanad. You keep giving big statements, come to the ground, and fight against me. People from Congress will say a lot of things, but I am ready…Babri Masjid and Secretariat’s mosque were demolished under the Congress regime…” he said.

The Congress and AIMIM are at loggerheads in Telangana as both parties are slugging it out to reach the helm in the upcoming state’s Assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held later this year.

Earlier this month, Rahul Gandhi while speaking at Vijayabheri Sabha in Telangana’s Tukkuguda, said that the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, and AIMIM are working in unison in Telangana and that his party fighting against this troika.

“In Telangana, the Congress party is not fighting against BRS but with BRS, BJP and AIMIM combined. They call themselves different parties but they are working together unitedly,” Rahul Gandhi had said.

The Wayanad MP had also claimed that there are no CBI-ED cases against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao or AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi since Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers them his “own people”.

All political parties in the fray are leaving no stone unturned to emerge victorious in the Telangana Assembly polls. The ruling BRS has already announced its list of candidates, while the Congress has announced its “six guarantees” which the party says will be fulfilled if they are voted to power. (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/

Nobody Knows When Women Reservation Will Be Implemented: Rahul

By LokMarg 22nd September 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Women’s Reservation Bill is a “distraction tactic” by the BJP-led government to take away the attention of people from demands such as caste census and said nobody knows when the legislation will be implemented.

Addressing a press conference at here a day after the Bill was passed in the Special Session of Parliament, Rahul Gandhi demanded that the data of the previous caste census should be released immediately and that a fresh caste census should be held to determine the population of OBCs and other weaker sections.

Rahul Gandhi said the party extended its full support to the Women’s Reservation Bill but there is no certainty about the date of its implementation and it requires Census and delimitation exercise. He said should have been implemented immediately.

“Women’s Reservation Bill is great but we received two footnotes that Census and Delimitation need to be done before that. Both of these will take years. The truth is that the reservation can be implemented today…This is not a complicated matter but the government doesn’t want to do that. The government has presented this before the country but it will be implemented 10 years from now. Nobody knows if this will even be implemented. This is a distraction tactic, diversion tactic,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“What is it that you are being diverted from? From OBC Census. I spoke of one institution in Parliament, that which runs the Government of India – Cabinet secretary and secretaries…I asked why only three out of 90 people belong to the OBC community?…I don’t understand that PM Modi speaks of OBCs every day but what did he do for them?” he asked.

The Congress leader had spoken about the lower representation of OBCs in the secretary-level posts at the Centre while participating in the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The BJP countered him by saying that it gives larger representation to OBCs and the number of MPs of the party from the community was more than the total number of parliamentarians of Congress.

The 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill 2023, also called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was passed during the Special Session of Parliament which began on Monday. The two Houses were adjourned sine die on Thursday, a day before the scheduled ending of the session, after the Bill was passed.

Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is the first bill passed by Parliament in its new building. (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/

Supriya Sule Calls Women Reservation Bill A Post-Dated Cheque

By LokMarg 21st September 2023

Terming the bill as a “post-dated cheque”, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MP Supriya Sule slammed the Bharatiya Janta Party for calling a special session for parliament for passing the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Meanwhile, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the Women’s Reservation Bill for discussion in Rajya Sabha.

Stating that neither census and delimitation has been done, the NCP MP also said that the Centre could have introduced the bill during the upcoming winter session.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the passage of the bill in the Rajya Sabha, Supriya Sule said “They did this in such a haste, in a special session. There was so much haste that it seemed that they could have done it in December (Winter Session). Even if they did it then, the outcome would have been the same…”

“We are supporting it strongly. But it is a post-dated cheque because neither census nor delimitation has been done. Unless both of them are done it can’t be implemented. It will perhaps be implemented in 2029, who knows?”

BJP MP, Hema Malini congratulated PM Modi for his “vision” following the passage of the bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

“The people who question will only question. But PM Narendra Modi has done it. He has done what has never happened before. We all should thank him, and congratulate him. He has a vision…” the Mathura MP told ANI.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha during the special session after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is a “historic legislation” that will further boost women’s empowerment and will enable “greater participation of women in our political process,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday after the passage of the bill in Lok Sabha.

The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, the first sitting of the House in the new Parliament building.

The five-day Special Session of Parliament began on Monday and will conclude on Friday. (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/

Lok Sabha Passes Women Reservation Bill; BJP Calls It Historic

By LokMarg 20th September 2023

Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the Women’s Reservation Bill which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed after a reply by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Bill was passed following division with 454 members voting in favour of the legislation and two against it on the motion for the passage moved by Meghwal. The amendments moved by opposition members were negatived and there was also voting on clauses of the bill.

Speaker Om Birla announced that the Bill had been passed.

The ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

The bill was passed by a majority of the total membership of the House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the House “present and voting”

The division was carried out through the distribution of slips.

Meghwal said “history” was being made with the passage of the bill.

Rejecting the opposition’s criticism about the delay in the implementation of provisions of the Bill, Meghwal said that the bill ensures transparency. The bill was passed after a day-long debate which was initiated by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

Intervening in the debate, Home Minister Amit Shah also rejected the opposition’s contention and said the bill will follow due procedure and seats which are to be reserved will be decided by the Delimitation Commission.

Several opposition members including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that caste census and delimitation are not required for implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill and it should come into force soon after it is passed by Parliament.

“There is one thing in my view that makes this bill incomplete. I would like to have seen the OBC reservation included in this bill,” Gandhi said.

“Delimitation and census is not required, the bill should be immediately implemented,” the Congress leader added.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 is expected to be taken up by the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.

The government introduced the new bill on Tuesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing the government’s intention to bring ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’.

Sources said the division was carried out through slips as information regarding division numbers in the New House is awaited from some parties in the Lok Sabha.

The Special Session of Parliament began on Monday and will continue till Friday. (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/

Women Empowerment a Matter of Principle For BJP: Amit Shah

By LokMarg 20th September 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that unlike the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), other parties see women’s empowerment as a “political issue and a tool for vote bank politics”.

During the discussion over the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, Shah further said that for the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, women’s empowerment is an issue of “principles and beliefs.”

“For some parties, the issue of women empowerment can be a political agenda or a slogan to win elections. However, for my party and my leader Narendra Modi, women empowerment is not a political issue, but it is a matter of principles and beliefs,” Shah said.

He further said that yesterday will be marked in history.

“Yesterday was Ganesh Chaturthi, it was the inauguration of the new Parliament and we introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament,” he added.

“The Women’s Reservation Bill is a mark of respect and the beginning of a new era,” the Minister added.

He added that Prime Minister Modi presented a vision of women-led progress at the recently concluded G-20 session.

Notably, Day 3 of the Parliament special session witnessed a debate on the women’s reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, while the Rajya Sabha discussed India’s space journey focusing on Chandrayaan-3’s successful soft landing on the moon.

The Women’s Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 percent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced in the Lok Sabha today in the ongoing special session of Parliament and will be taken up for discussion on Wednesday when the House will meet at 11 am.

The Union Cabinet on Monday approved the Women Reservation Bill.

On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. The bill has been named ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’.

In 2008, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and it was passed in 2010. However, the Bill was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21 government sources said.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to introduce three new articles and one new clause in the Constitution.

However, prior to Shah, Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi alleged that the BJP was trying to distract people from the caste census and the Adani issue.

“Every time the Opposition raises the issue of caste census, the BJP tries to create a distraction, or to a new event so that the OBC community and the people of India look the other way,” he said while slamming the Centre for employing diversionary tactics.

Gandhi further asked the government to release the data of the Caste census done by us or “we will release it”.

Rahul Gandhi also said that the caste census is the only way to ensure representation for OBCs. He said that despite forming a huge chunk of the population, they control and define only 5 per cent of India’s budget. “This is an insult and a shame to the OBC community,” he added. (ANI)

Read More: https://lokmarg.com/