Parliament Special Session Highlights: Women's reservation bill passed by Lok Sabha

On Women's Reservation Bill passed in Lok Sabha, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy says, "A historically revolutionary Bill has been passed today...I congratulate the women of the country...by passing this Bill in Lok Sabha, PM Modi has proved that Modi hai toh mumkin hai."

On Women's Reservation Bill passed in Lok Sabha, MoS for Railways and Textile, Darshana Jardosh says,"...With majority votes the dream that Prime Minister saw has been achieved... I already knew that the integrity with which it was introduced in the new Parliament building, it would get good support..."

On Women's Reservation Bill passed in Lok Sabha, Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram says, "It is a symbolic bill, for it to come into effect, two steps have to be crossed, we have to do a census which we haven't done since 2011 and after that, we have to also do a delimitation and it is going to be very complicated..."

On Women's Reservation Bill passed in Lok Sabha, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav says, "I want to congratulate everyone. A historic bill has passed. But there has been a delay by the government in bringing this bill. There are only six months in the (Lok Sabha) elections. The government brought this bill looking at these 6 months and the strength of the INDIA bloc. This is absolutely political."

"This will be written with golden letters. PM Modi has introduced numerous initiatives during his 9 and a half years of tenure aimed at improving the lives of women and promoting women empowerment. Even during the G20 Summit, PM Modi advocated for women-led development," says Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat as Lok Sabha passes Women's Reservation Bill.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor speaking on Women's Reservation Bill passed in LS, "It is good that the bill got passed but we have concerns, it is a bit of a Jhumla because of reference to delimitation and census, neither of it has been scheduled, which makes it very unclear when this(bill) will actually be implemented"

BJP MP Tejaswi Surya says, "This is one more historic step towards true empowerment of women, ensuring higher political representation of women in policy-making by the Narendra Modi govt"

"It was no less than a celebration when we passed the first milestone of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Bill) today. I thank PM Modi for giving the next generation of women, who will lead tomorrow, a constitutional guarantee," says Union minister Smriti Irani. 

“Delighted at the passage of The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha with such phenomenal support. I thank MPs across Party lines who voted in support of this Bill. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is a historic legislation which will further boost women empowerment and will enable even greater participation of women in our political process,” PM Modi tweets.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi says on Women's Reservation Bill, "There have been 4 such Lok Sabhas where there were no Mulsim Women MPs... All we are saying is that Muslim and OBC women should get the reservation."

CPI MP Binoy Viswam said on Women's Reservation Bill being passed in Lok Sabha, “OBC reservations are pending but INDIA bloc parties believed that this bill should be passed and rest of it we can find solutions…INDIA stands for passing of the bill.”

"I thank all the MPs who voted in favour of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Bill). Today, it was passed by more than two-third majority. 454 votes in favour and 2 in opposition. This shows that what no one could do in Lok Sabha till date, has been done today in the Modi-led government," says Union minister Anurag Thakur on Women's Reservation bill being passed in Lok Sabha. 

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi says, "It makes me happy and emotional...We have lived up to that commitment...It is something I welcome..."

On Women's Reservation Bill passed in Lok Sabha, BRS MLC K Kavitha says, "I congratulate all the Indian women that we have achieved a major step in terms of achieving more participation of women in the political process. This will certainly enrich our country. We are a huge nation, we are a democracy. Participation of women is going to increase the quality of the debate... Not giving space to OBC women is painful... It is a big step for our women, we should celebrate and continue the fight for our OBC sisters..."

'The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023’ passed in in Lok Sabha. Lok Sabha adjourned for the day.

Rajya Sabha on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution lauding the scientists for the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission.

The members endorsed the motion by thumping of desks after a discussion on 'India's glorious space journey marked by successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3".

"This House recognises and appreciates the scientists, including the women scientists, for achieving this arduous feat with the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the unconquered south pole of the Moon.

"This accomplishment, along with the other space missions, will usher in long-lasting economic and social upliftment," Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar said.

Senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani on Wednesday dismissed the claims made by Opposition MPs in the Parliament on the absence of the phrase "socialist secular" from the preamble and said that the claim did not hold any strength and was taken up by the Congress as they did not have an agenda.

Speaking to ANI on the issue the Rajya Sabha MP said, "This claim does not hold any strength. Congress does not have any agenda so they are taking up small issues. The Law Ministry gave them the original Constitution, it is valuable because the constituent assembly drafted it. And the amendments are there as they should be. There is no issue in this."

This comes after Congress leader KC Venugopal slammed the Central government over the alleged claim by Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on the missing words 'socialist secular' from the new constitution given to them on the first day of the Parliament.

The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole is going to have a very big impact on India's industrial and technological ecosystem, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

She said the country's space journey has been "spectacular" since starting in 1975 with the launch of the Aryabhatta Satellite with the help of the erstwhile Soviet Union.

Now, the Indian Space Research Organisation also launches foreign satellites, she added.

Participating in a debate in Rajya Sabha on 'India's Glorious Space Journey Marked By Successful Soft Landing of Chandrayaan-3', the finance minister said, "This success of Chandrayaan-3 is certainly going to have a very big impact on India's industrial and technological ecosystem."

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told Lok Sabha on Wednesday that the provision for implementing 33 per cent reservation for women in the lower house and state assemblies after census and delimitation was in line with the Constitution.

He was responding to a day-long debate on the constitutional amendment bill for women's reservation during which many opposition members questioned the need for census and delimitation before implementing the quota for women as it will delay the process.

Meghwal said if the government agrees to provide reservation immediately, it will be against the provisions of the Constitution.

The BJP-led Centre has brought in the women's reservation bill with the intention to befool women and has made sure with the riders of delimitation and population census that it will not be implemented before 2039, senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Singh said his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supports the bill but wants it to be implemented in the 2024 elections as well.

"All the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have turned out to be jumla. Whether it's the promise of two crore jobs to the youth, ₹15 lakh to every Indian, doubling farmers' income, bringing back black money, pucca house to everyone or controlling inflation, everything has been proven to be a mere jumla.

On Union Home Minister Amit Shah's statement in parliament, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi says, "His (HM Amit Shah) statement is hypocritical because a commitment made to the women of the country 9 and a half years ago in the 2014 manifesto and coming and merging as a single largest party with all parties asking you to introduce the bill, has taken 9 and a half years. His statement is hypocritical because of this one clause that this is subject to delimitation and census... 2021 census is already delayed. We are in 2023 and no census is likely to happen. We are assuming that in 2029, the delimitation will happen... it may move forward because, in 2031, a new census will be expected... They are trying to lure the women of the country by showing them the bill... Women will realise this and they will pay a price for this..."

Twenty-seven women MPs cutting across party lines spoke during the debate on the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, with BJP legislators coming out in support of it and the opposition parties also backing it while demanding its immediate implementation.

At present, there are 82 women MPs in Lok Sabha, out of the total strength of 543.

The government on Tuesday introduced the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, which seeks to reserve 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. It was the first bill introduced in the new Parliament building.

After passing of the women's reservation bill, Lok Sabha MPs are voting on clauses of the bill on demand of an Opposition MP.

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed the long-standing women's reservation bill.