On International Women’s Day on Tuesday, the Union government said it was working towards evolving a consensus on clearing the women’s reservation Bill and hoped to bring it to the Lok Sabha soon.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said this in the Lok Sabha at the end of a special hour, in which 30 women MPs spoke. The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, but ran into opposition from a number of parties in the Lok Sabha.
The proceedings started in style with Congress MP Ranjeet Ranjan arriving in Parliament House on a motorcycle.
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In an impassioned speech, Congress president Sonia Gandhi underscored the need for passing the Bill. “Maximum governance means giving women their due,” she said. “It means that ensuring that the civil and democratic rights of a citizen are not denied. It means preserving the social and communal fabric of the nation, and involves the expansion of the scope of debate without retaliation and retribution.” Vrindavan MP Hema Malini of the BJP spoke about multi-tasking, and said women excelled in it.