New Delhi:

Striking an emotive note, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday remembered her “life partner” Rajiv Gandhi while speaking on the women’s reservation bill and said his dream would be fulfilled with the passage of this legislation.

Extending her party’s support to the women’s reservation bill, the Congress parliamentary party chief demanded that the quota be implemented immediately and SC, ST and OBC women also be given reservation following a caste census.

While putting forward strong political points on the bill, she also injected a personal note when she recalled former prime minister and her husband Rajiv Gandhi’s efforts to secure reservation for women.

“This is a very poignant moment in my life. It was my life partner Rajiv Gandhi ji who for the first time had brought the constitutional amendment for participation of women in local bodies, but it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha by seven votes. Later, the Congress government under the leadership of prime minister P V Narasimha Rao got it passed,” she said in the Lok Sabha.

Today, as a result of that, there are 15 lakh elected women leaders through local bodies across the country, she added.

“Rajiv Gandhi’s dream is only half fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with the passage of this bill. The Congress supports this bill,” Mrs Gandhi said.

The constitutional amendment bill was introduced in the Lower House on Tuesday. It was the first bill introduced in the new Parliament building.

The bill provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The reservation will come into effect only after the completion of the census and delimitation exercise.

Rajiv Gandhi first introduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation in panchayats and nagarpalikas in May 1989. It was passed in the Lok Sabha but failed in the Rajya Sabha in September 1989.

Later, then prime minister Narasimha Rao reintroduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993. Both bills were passed and became laws. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Women “do not want to be put on a pedestal… worshipped” DMK MP Kanimozhi said in Parliament today in a heated debate on the women’s reservation bill. Swatting aside hecklers at the start of her speech, she also invoked the spirit of strong women politicians, including former AIADMK boss J Jayalalithaa, her party’s fierce rival and the late ex-Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, and the late former union minister Sushma Swaraj, who was one of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s tallest leaders.

In a speech that included quotes from Tamil poets and activists, Ms Kanimozhi criticised the BJP over the “jack-in-the-box” women’s bill and seemed to take a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “chosen by God” remark; “some leaders (believe) if a woman is strong, she becomes a ‘devil'”.

READ |“Chosen By God For Pious Task”: PM Pushes Women’s Bill In New Parliament

“Why cannot women be strong? Haven’t women participated in the independence struggle? Haven’t we seen strong leaders like Mrs Indira Gandhi? It is these kind of words that put fear into the hearts of women,” she said, to which someone tried to throw her off by mentioning Ms Jayalalithaa.

READ | NDTV Explainer: What Is Women’s Reservation Bill

“Yes… yes, Jayalalithaa was a strong leader. I have no hesitation in accepting she was a very strong leader,” Ms Kanimozhi shot back with a smile, to which Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule (seated next to her) reacted with a delighted thumping of the desk and a “well done Kani, exactly!”

Ms Kanimozhi then named other senior women politicians of the country, including Bahujan Samaj Party boss Mayawati, ex-Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“This bill is called the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Bill’ (but) stop saluting us! We do not want to be saluted… put on a pedestal… to be worshipped… to be called mothers, your sister or wife. We want to be respected as equals. Let us get down from the pedestal and walk as equals,” Ms Kanimozhi said.

READ | DMK MP Kanimozhi Slams BJP Over “Jack-In-The Box” Women’s Bill

“Some of our leaders are worried… if a man also takes on the qualities of a woman then he becomes a ‘god’ but, if a woman becomes strong and brave it is not acceptable and she becomes a devil.”

“You (gesturing to the BJP benches) believe in God… in Hinduism. I would like to ask… who is Kali? Isn’t she brave, strong? So who are you insulting?” she continued with an emphatic gesture.

Ms Kanimozhi also quoted another late senior BJP leader – former Law Minister Arun Jaitley – to urging the government to allow “politics of tokenism” to evolve into the “politics of ideas”.

“I’d like to quote Arun Jaitley (referring to a quote he had made in the Rajya Sabha during a discussion on women’s rights). He said, “The argument (that) men can also ensure justice for women has been weakened until representation and discrimination stare us in the face’. The politics of tokenism must now evolve into the politics of ideas. So please stop tokenism,” she urged.

In her speech Ms Kanimozhi also laid out a brief history of the various iterations of the women’s bill, noting her party’s support on each instance, and underlined her Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s support for the Congress in claiming what Sonia Gandhi called “apna (our)” bill.

#WATCH | Women’s Reservation Bill | DMK MP Kanimozhi says, “I myself have raised this issue of bringing the Reservation Bill many times in Parliament. To many of my starred and unstarred questions, the Govt’s reply was very consistent. They said that they have to involve all… pic.twitter.com/8gAJzAbopa

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2023

As others have, she also slammed the BJP for presenting a bill that cannot come into effect before the 2029 general election because it requires a delimitation, or redrawing of parliamentary constituencies, exercise that, in turn, relies on a national census scheduled for 2027.

She also pointed out the bill introduced by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in 2010 had no conditions and that it was to “take effect immediately after the passage…”

The day’s debate began with Sonia Gandhi making a similar demand and calling for immediate implementation. The BJP’s Nishikant Dubey then accused the Congress of making claims “for political angles” and pointed out such a demand had not been part of the Congress’ bill.

READ | Sonia Gandhi vs BJP In Lok Sabha On Women’s Reservation Bill

Pointing out the bill already has a provision for reservation for women from SC and ST communities, Mr Dubey said the Congress and the opposition had not tabled the bill (when the UPA was in power) and were now upset as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had showed the courage to do so.

With input from agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a strong pitch for the women’s reservation bill in his opening speech in the new Parliament. Declaring himself “chosen by God for this pious task”, the Prime Minister called for increased focus on women-led development and praised the bill, which was cleared late last evening by the union cabinet and tabled this afternoon. “The world understands that only talking of women(-led) development is not enough… this is a positive step taken on this front.”

The PM also seized the moment to take a swipe at the opposition, stating previous governments – an unstated reference to Congress-led governments that preceded his – failed to clear this bill.

“Parliament has tried (to pass the bill) in the past too… there have been discussions around women’s reservations for years. Can say with pride we have scripted history,” the PM told Parliament.

“The bill was tabled multiple times in Atalji‘s (the late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee) tenure… (now) God has chosen me for this pious task,” the PM declared amid criticism his government delayed passing this bill till now in anticipation of an image boost before next year’s general election.

READ |Women’s Reservation Bill: PM Calls It “Agni Pareeksha For MPs”

The Prime Minister had earlier also said passing the bill – tabled today by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal – will be an “agni pareeksha“, or trial by fire, for MPs.

The Women’s Reservation Bill

The bill proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in parliament and state legislatures.

The Lok Sabha will discuss the bill on Wednesday and the Rajya Sabha will debate it on Thursday.

Differences of opinion over a quota for women within that reserved for SC and ST communities had prevented the bill from clearing Parliament despite having been cleared by the Rajya Sabha in 2010.

The bill then lapsed since it was not taken up by the Lok Sabha within the specified time.

This time around, though, given the Bharatiya Janata Party’s brute majority in the Lok Sabha and support from allies in the Rajya Sabha, the bill is on the verge of becoming law.

READ | Women’s Quota Only By 2029? Exclusive Details Of New Bill

However, the quota may not come into force before 2029, since it will rely on data from a census that has not yet been conducted and a delimitation, or redrawing of constituencies, exercise.

The latter will only take place in 2027 – after the next census.

“It Is Ours”, Says Congress

Ex-Congress boss Sonia Gandhi claimed the bill on behalf of our party and called it “ours”. The Congress also said it welcomed the re-introduction of a bill first tabled its by government.

“It is ours, apna hai,” Mrs Gandhi told reporters.

“I Apologise”, Says PM

Meanwhile, claiming the spirit of a new start in the new Parliament building, the Prime Minister in his speech also offered “apologies… to someone we have hurt intentionally or unintentionally”.

“Samvatsari (a Jain festival) is celebrated today… this is a wonderful tradition. Today is the day we can say ‘micchami dukkadam‘… this gives us the chance to apologise to someone we hurt intentionally or unintentionally. I want to say ‘micchami dukkadam‘ to all Members of Parliament and people of India.”

New Delhi:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge today complained to Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar that the Opposition doesn’t get enough chances to put forth their views on various subjects inside the house, and requested that the cameras inside the parliament, which live-telecast the proceedings, should focus equally on the opposition MPs when they are speaking. 

“We don’t get the chance outside. We do here, so please let us have it,” he said while addressing the Rajya Sabha on the first day of the special session of the Parliament on Monday.

What’s mentioned here on the record sends a message outside too, that the people’s issues are being discussed, he said, adding that the ‘constitutional work’ that the MPs do in the house should get encouragement from him and also from the government.

“You are our guardian. If there’s any injustice against us, you are the one who is supposed to protect us. We are so few in number, if all of them (ruling coalition NDA’s MPs) start attacking us then we will come crying to you,” he said in a light-hearted exchange with Mr Dhankhar, stressing his protection is needed.

The Congress president began his address with a Hindi poem taking a swipe at the Centre. 

“If you want to change something, then change the situation
What is accomplished by changing names like this?

If you want to give something, give employment to the youth
What is accomplished by making everyone unemployed?

Try expanding your heart a little
What is accomplished by killing people?

If you can’t do anything, leave your chair.
What is accomplished by scaring each other?

You are proud of your rule
What is accomplished by bullying people?” he read out from a paper.

बदलना है तो अब हालात बदलो
ऐसे नाम बदलने से क्या होता है?

देना है तो युवाओं को रोजगार दो
सबको बेरोजगार करके क्या होता है?

दिल को थोड़ा बड़ा करके देखो
लोगों को मारने से क्या होता है?

कुछ कर नहीं सकते तो कुर्सी छोड़ दो
बात-बात पर डराने से क्या होता है?

अपनी हुक्मरानी पर तुम्हें… pic.twitter.com/VT0rPCKWAp

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 18, 2023

The strong foundation stones that support a structure are not visible to anyone, only the name on the wall is, Mr Kharge said in an apparent jibe at PM Modi, without naming him.

He also said that the government was focusing on weakening the “strong” Opposition through central agencies like CBI and ED. 

“Nehru ji believe that the absence of a strong Opposition means that there are significant drawbacks in the system. If there is no strong Opposition, it is not right. Now, that there is a strong Opposition, focus is on weakening it through ED, CBI…Take them (into their own party), put them in a washing machine and when they come out all clean – make them permanent (in one’s own party). You can see what is happening today. PM comes to the Parliament rarely and when he does he leaves after making it an event,” Mr Kharge said.

Remembering Jawaharlal Nehru and his contribution to nation-building, the Congress Chief said, “Nehru ji led India during difficult times. He was in jail for 14 years for the independence of India. Nothing new will happen if we shift to a new parliament…’.

Mr Kharge also alleged that PM Modi has given statements just twice in the Lok Sabha, and compared the figure with former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh.

“Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave statement 21 times, Manmohan Singh gave 30 times during their tenure,” Mr Kharge said. “However, apart from few ‘custormary comments’, PM Modi gave his statement only twice,” he added.

New Delhi:
The five-day “Amrit Kaal” session of parliament begins today. The agenda includes discussions on the evolution of India’s parliamentary democracy. Eight bills are listed, including a controversial one on the Chief Election Commissioner pick.

Here are the Top 10 points in this big story:

New Delhi:

Rajya Sabha will hold a discussion on the country’s parliamentary journey of 75 years on the first day of the Special Session of Parliament that is being held from September 18 to 22. 

The agenda for the first day of the session lists discussion on the parliamentary journey as the main item to be taken up during the day.    

The House will take up a discussion on ‘Parliamentary Journey of 75 Years starting from Samvidhan Sabha (Constituent Assembly)- Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings’.  

The government has convened an all-party meeting on September 17 for the smooth function of the two Houses in the Special session of Parliament.

The Parliament is likely to start functioning from the new building during the session.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The government on Wednesday listed a special discussion on Parliament’s journey of 75 years starting from the Samvidhan Sabha on the first day of the five-day session of Parliament beginning September 18.

During the session, the government has also listed the bill on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and other election commissioners to be taken up for consideration and passage. The bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session.

“Discussion on ‘Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings'” will be held on September 18 besides other formal business like laying of papers.”

The session is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament moving from the old building to the new Parliament building.

The other listed business for Lok Sabha includes ‘The Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023’ and ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023’, already passed by Rajya Sabha on 3 August 2023.

Besides, ‘The Post Office Bill, 2023’ has also been listed in the Lok Sabha business, according to an official bulletin. The bill was earlier introduced in Rajya Sabha on 10 August 2023.

The list of business is tentative and more items can be added.

The government has also convened a meeting of the floor leaders of all political parties on September 17, a day before the start of the five-day session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said.

The invitation for the meeting has been sent to all leaders concerned through e-mail, Joshi posted on social media platform X.

On August 31, Joshi had announced a “special session” of Parliament for five days from September 18 but did not spell out any specific agenda for it.

“Amid Amrit Kaal, looking forward to having fruitful discussions and debate in Parliament,” Joshi had posted on X.

Sharing the agenda for the special Parliament session on X, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said it “is much ado about nothing” and all this could have waited till the Winter session in November, but added that the government could be having “legislative grenades” up its sleeves.

“Finally, after pressure from Smt. Sonia Gandhi’s letter to the Prime Minister, the Modi Govt has condescended to announce the agenda for the special 5-day session of Parliament beginning September 18th,” he said.

“The agenda as published at the moment, is much ado about nothing – all this could have waited till Winter session in November.

“I am sure the legislative grenades are being kept up their sleeves to be unleashed at the last moment as usual. Parde ke peeche kuch aur hai! (there is more behind the curtains),” he said on the agenda.

“Regardless, the INDIA parties will steadfastly oppose the insidious CEC Bill,” Ramesh also said.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when no agenda was listed for the session.

Ramesh also earlier in the day listed several previous special Parliament sessions and said each time the agenda was listed in advance.

The government had in the last session tabled in Rajya Sabha the contentious Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill that seeks to replace the Chief Justice of India with a cabinet minister in the panel for selection of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners.

The move will allow the government to have more control over the appointments of members of the poll panel.

The Bill was moved by the Law Minister amid an uproar by the opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool, AAP and the Left, that accused the government of “diluting and overturning” a Supreme Court Constitution bench order.

The Supreme Court in March ruled that a three-member panel, headed by the prime minister and comprising the leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha and the Chief Justice of India, will select the CEC and ECs till a law is framed by Parliament on the appointment of these commissioners.

The prime minister-led panel for the selection of the chief election commissioner and election commissioners will have the power to consider even those not short-listed by the cabinet secretary-led Search Committee, according to a bill introduced in Parliament.

According to Section 6 of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, a Search Committee headed by the cabinet secretary and comprising two other members not below the rank of secretary, having knowledge and experience in matters relating to elections, shall prepare a panel of five persons for consideration of the Selection Committee for appointment as the CEC and ECs.

According to Section 8 (2) of the proposed law, the Selection Committee may also consider any other person than those included in the panel by the Search Committee.

Section 7 (1) of the bill states that the CEC and ECs will be appointed by the president on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the prime minister, who will be the chairperson, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the prime minister as members.

Where the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha has not been recognised as such, the leader of the single largest party in opposition will be deemed to be the Leader of Opposition, the bill clarifies. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The government will hold an all-party meeting Monday evening – hours before the start of a five-day special session of Parliament that was called for by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi earlier this month.

Mr Joshi posted on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Ahead of the Parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM. The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email. Letter to follow.” The post also included a Kannada translation of the statement.

Ahead of the parliament session from the 18th of this month, an all-party floor leaders meeting has been convened on the 17th at 4.30 PM. The invitation for the same has been sent to concerned leaders through email.
Letter to follow

ಇದೇ ಸೆಪ್ಟೆಂಬರ್ 18 ರಿಂದ ಆರಂಭವಾಗಲಿರುವ ವಿಶೇಷ…

— Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) September 13, 2023

Mr Joshi is a Lok Sabha MP from Karnataka’s Dharwad constituency.

Monday’s all-party meeting may discuss the agenda for next week’s session, a lack of clarity over which has led to furious speculation, including buzz the government will move a resolution to change the country’s official name from India to Bharat.

READ | Government Calls Parliament “Special Session”, Agenda Not Declared

Last week formal invitations to G20 leaders from President Droupadi Murmu’s office described her as the “President of Bharat”, triggering an outcry from the opposition. The government pointed to the relevant line in the Constitution, which says “India, that is, Bharat, shall be a Union of States…”

READ | On India-Bharat Name Change Row, Rahul Gandhi’s Jab At Government

There is also talk the special session has been called to formally move the Parliament from the old building to the new; sources had said this may take place on September 19.

The government’s special session announcement has been widely criticised by opposition leaders. Several hit out for choosing a date that clashes with “India’s most important festival” – Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on Tuesday.

“This special session called during India’s most important festival of Ganesh Chaturthi… goes against Hindu sentiments!” Shiv Sena UBT’s Priyanka Chaturvedi said, while the Nationalist Congress Party’s Supriya Sule demanded it be rescheduled. 

Just read about the upcoming Special Parliament Session (13th Session of 17th Lok Sabha & 261st Session of Rajya Sabha) happening from Sep 18-22.

Whilst we all look forward towards meaningful discussions and dialogue, the dates coincide with the Ganpati Festival, a major…

— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) August 31, 2023

Ex-Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile, wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “point out this special session has been convened without any consultation with other political parties”. “None of us have any idea of its agenda… all we have been communicated is that all five days have been allocated for ‘government business’,” she told the Prime Minister.

Government sources had told NDTV the session’s agenda may include discussions on India as a ‘developed nation’. Other topics could include Chandrayaan-3, the Moon mission, and the widely praised G20 Summit that was held in Delhi last week.

New Delhi:

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Tuesday criticized the BJP-led government, asserting that it has kept the nation uninformed as it is not disclosing the agenda for the upcoming special session of Parliament scheduled to be held from September 18 to 22.

Addressing a press conference, Gaurav Gogoi said, “Today a meeting of our Parliamentary Strategic Committee was held under the chairmanship of Sonia Gandhi and the leadership of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. Important issues were discussed that the country is facing today. There was discussion about inflation, unemployment, Manipur and natural disaster in Himachal Pradesh.”

“Special session of Parliament has been called from September 18 but BJP itself is not able to tell what is the agenda of the session. The BJP has kept the country in the dark on this. This government is not transparent and responsible towards the country. BJP is not able to clear what will be the agenda for the session. Our principle is that there should be discussion in the House on the important issues of the country. Congress Party is ready to discuss and give suggestions on these issues,” he added.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that the upcoming session of Parliament was called to divert the attention from the INDIA meeting in Mumbai and further attacked the BJP by mentioning that they won’t listen to ‘Modi Chalisa’ for 5 days.

“We are seeing for the first time that PM Modi and his associates announced a 5-day special session to divert attention from the INDIA meeting. If you look at the Parliament bulletin they have mentioned all 5 days for government business. We don’t have any information as to what matters will be taken up during this session. Today the Congress party has decided that we will participate in this special session, but discussion should be done on people’s issues,” the Congress leader said.

Earlier today Congress held a Parliamentary strategy group meeting ahead of the Parliament special session starting from September 18. The meeting was held at the residence of Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday informed about the five-day special session of Parliament from September 18-22. The agenda for the special session, however, was not revealed yet.

The Centre on Saturday constituted an eight-member committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections in the country.

The members of the committee, apart from former President Kovind, include Union Home Minister Amit Shah; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury; former Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad; former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh, former Lok Sabha secretary general Subhash C Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve and former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari.

The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building. The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year.

Indicating his party’s readiness to cooperate with the government during the special session, Jairam Ramesh stated that the Congress party intends to have a comprehensive discussion on various challenges confronting the country, encompassing social, economic, political, and diplomatic issues.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)