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

Bhopal:

Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Tuesday said she was disappointed that the bill reserving 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies does not carve out a quota for women from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, she demanded that half the seats in the women’s quota be reserved for SC/STs and OBCs, and backward class women from the Muslim community should also get a benefit.

The constitutional amendment bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the BJP-led Union government earlier in the day. It proposes that the reservation will continue for 15 years and there will be one-third quota for women also within the seats reserved for SC/STs.

“I am happy that the women’s reservation bill was introduced, but I am feeling somewhat dejected because it has come without reservation for OBC women. If we do not ensure reservation for OBC women, then their faith in the BJP will be broken,” Ms Bharti, herself a prominent OBC leader of the BJP, told Press Trust of India.

In the letter to PM Modi, Ms Bharti said, “The 33 per cent reservation for women in legislature is a special provision. It should be ensured that out of this 33 per cent, 50 per cent is reserved for women belonging to SC/ST and OBC communities.” In the Panchayati Raj and local bodies there is a provision for special reservation for the backward class women, she added.

She also demanded that there be a provision for the women belonging to backward classes in the Muslim community, as identified by the Mandal Commission.

Uma Bharti further reminded PM Modi that when a similar bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha (when HD Deve Gowda was prime minister) she had stood up immediately to oppose it and demand changes, and the bill was sent to a standing committee.

When the time came for doing something for the OBCs, “we backtracked,” Ms Bharti said, talking to reporters.

“I was confident that the prime minister will take care of it. I wrote a letter in the morning to the PM and maintained silence till the bill was introduced.

“I got very disappointed on seeing that there is no OBC reservation in the bill,” she said, adding “I got disappointed as the chance which the backward class women were supposed to get has not been given to them.”

On the controversial statements made by DMK leaders about Sanatan Dharma, Uma Bharti said they belong to a school of thought which launched a movement in Tamil Nadu (decades ago) to “cut the tuft and wipe off tilak” (as symbols of Brahminism) but the movement could not stop people from sporting a tuft or wearing tilak or ‘Janeu’ (sacred thread). Nor did it stop anyone from going to temples, she added.

“So when Sanatan Dharma has not suffered any damage there, why are they raising this debate from a political platform? Better leave the issue of Sanatan Dharma to the Shankaracharyas of the country,” Ms Bharti added.

The agenda of development which the prime minister laid out in 2014 should be followed, she said, but also defended PM Modi’s statements on the controversy, stating that he spoke on it because it was a current issue.
 

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

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the purpose of the new women’s reservation bill Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam is to expand women’s participation in Lok Sabha and assemblies, and asserted it will further strengthen Indian democracy, as he urged MPs of both Houses of Parliament to pass the bill unanimously.

In the first speech in the first session in the new Parliament building, PM Modi underlined the role of politics in the effective transformation of society and said Indian women have immensely contributed in sectors ranging from space to sports and start-ups to self-help groups.

“The Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam will further strengthen our democracy. I congratulate mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation for Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam. I assure all mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation that we are committed to making this bill into a law,” he said, amidst thumping of desks by members of both treasury and opposition benches.

Some opposition parties, including the Congress, have been seeking a law to ensure reservation of seats for women in legislative bodies.

The women’s reservation bill was given approval in the Union Cabinet meeting on Monday, said the Prime Minister, who also recalled how the world embraced the concept of India’s women-led development during the G20.

Observing the growing contribution of women in every sector, PM Modi stressed on the need for inclusion of more women in policy-making so that their contribution to the nation increases further. He urged members to open the doors of opportunities for women on this historic day.

“Taking forward the resolution of women-led development, our government is today presenting a major constitutional amendment bill. The purpose of this bill is to expand the participation of women in Lok Sabha and assemblies,” he said.

“I request as well as urge all colleagues in this House, as a pious auspicious beginning is being made, if this bill becomes a law with consensus, then its power will magnify manifold. Therefore, I request both the Houses to pass the bill with full consensus,” the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi said for many years, there have been several debates and controversies around women’s reservation. On women’s reservation, there have been many efforts earlier also in Parliament. In 1996, the first bill related to this was introduced, he added.

During Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, many times the women’s reservation bill was brought but numbers could not be mustered for it and the dream was left unfulfilled, PM Modi said.

“For that work of ensuring rights of women and putting their power to use, and for many such nobel works, God has chosen me. Once again our government has taken a step in this direction. In the Cabinet yesterday, the women’s reservation bill was given approval. This date of September 19 is going to be etched in history,” he said.

Noting that there comes a time in the development journey of any nation when history is created, PM Modi said today’s occasion is India’s moment in its development journey when history is being written.

As the Lok Sabha convened in the new Parliament building for the first time, Prime Minister Modi called on MPs to forget all past bitterness and start a new chapter, asserting that whatever they are going to do in the new complex, should be an inspiration for every citizen of the country.

He said the conduct of the members will decided whether they will sit in the opposition or the treasury benches as proceedings are telecast live.

The Prime Minister stressed on the need for collective dialogue and action for general welfare as well as unity of goals. “All of us should follow the Lakshaman Rekha of parliamentary traditions”, he said.

The House is not meant for the benefit of any political party, but for the development of the nation, the Prime Minister saud. “The Parliament is the supreme position to serve the country,” he said.

As Lok Sabha proceedings began in the new building, PM Modi addressed the House after brief remarks by Speaker Om Birla.

The Prime Minister said the new Parliament building reflects the aspirations of 140 crore Indians. “When we are starting a new chapter, we should forget all past bitterness,” he said.

PM Modi said that the grandeur of the new building anoints ‘Amrit Kaal’ and remembered the hard work of ‘Shramiks’ and engineers who kept working on the building even during the Covid pandemic.

He informed that more than 30,000 ‘Sharmiks’ contributed in the construction of the building and mentioned the presence of a digital book carrying the full details of the labourers.

He also extended greetings on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, Samvatsari Parva, a festival of forgiveness, and Michhami Dukkadam, a festival of Jains.

PM Modi mentioned the presence of the sacred ‘Sengol’, which was installed on the day the building was inaugurated in May, as a link between the old and the new and as a witness to the first light of freedom.

This sacred ‘Sengol’ was touched by the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. “Therefore, the Sengol links us with a very important part of our past,” he said.
 

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