Parliament to reconvene in three weeks to pass women’s reservation bill: Rijiju in Rajya Sabha

Government’s haste on the matter raises questions, says Mallikarjun Kharge

New Delhi: The government on Thursday made it clear that Parliament would reconvene in the “second or third week” of this month to clear a bill for early implementation of 33% women’s quota in legislatures even as the Opposition objected to the timeline alleging that it is aimed at getting political advantage ahead of elections, especially in West Bengal.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju made the announcement in the Rajya Sabha after Congress Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh sought clarity on whether the Budget Session will be adjourned sine die or will it reconvene after some time for which a notification would be issued later.

Rejecting accusations that the government is looking at political advantage ahead of elections, Rijiju said they were going to have a “very important bill in the next 2-3 weeks” and would “meet very soon for a very specific period” to clear the bill to amend the Constitution to enable the early implementation of women’s quota.

While the Minister did not mention the exact dates when the House will reconvene, sources indicated that it could happen any time after April 16. The government has been holding consultations with parties on the issue even as the Opposition has maintained that an all-party meeting be convened after the conclusion of polling in this round of Assembly elections on April 29.

Responding to Ramesh’s claim that the government had a “single-minded objective of getting some political advantage” violating the model code of conduct, Rijiju said the government was bound to fulfil its promise given to the women of the country. “For us, this has nothing to do with a specific State election,” he said.

He said the government had held a series of meetings with parties to explain the details of a “very simple” bill while appealing to the Congress with “folded hands not to take refuge” of an all-party meeting to delay the process, the timeline of which is tight.

Maintaining that the Opposition supports the initiative, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said the government’s haste raises questions, as the bill was important and had long-term implications.

“If you were so committed to women, why did you wait for three years after passing it? If you had to bring it, you could have brought it at the beginning of the session,” he said, accusing the government of trying to gain political mileage by bringing the bills as States are going to the polls. Rijiju denied the charge and said the issue should not be politicised.

Leader of the House J P Nadda said the government was competent to decide the time and date for bringing legislative business to Parliament, to which Kharge said Parliament, the nation and people would not tolerate such undemocratic conduct.