Women’s Reservation Bill debate: Amit Shah takes jibe at Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in Lok Sabha

Special Parliament Session Day 3: The Special Session of Parliament witnessed brief ruckus and stormy session over Women’s Reservation Bill. 

On the third day, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi initiated discussions on the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. Expressing her support for the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023' Bill, Sonia Gandhi called for its immediate enactment. 

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She emphasised that any delay in implementing the bill would be an injustice to the women of the nation. In her address to the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi stated, "I stand in support of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhinyam 2023. Women are being told that they will have to wait more for this bill to become law. We demand that the bill be made a law immediately, as a delay in implementing the bill is a gross unfairness to women in the country. I appeal to the Government to do this immediately."

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey stood up to speak after Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s remarks on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniam in the Lok Sabha.

There was a brief ruckus in the House as Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and other MPs from the opposition insisted that the Government should have nominated a woman MP to speak. 

Taking a jibe at Congress, Home Minister Amit Shah intervened and took potshots at Leader of Congress Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for interrupting Dubey’s speech and said he may be getting “jealous” as he did not get to speak first. 

“I want to ask Adhir Ranjan ji, will only women care for women, can men not speak up for them? What kind of society do you want to build? Women’s welfare, women’s concerns…brothers should be a step ahead. That is the tradition of this country. Everyone has the right to think of women’s welfare. And when Nishikant ji stood up from our side to speak, what was his (Chowdhury’s) objection? Maybe because he didn’t get the chance to speak first, he is getting a little jealous,” Amit Shah said.

Notably, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Tuesday introduced the Bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. The Bill was named 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'.

In 2008, the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government tabled the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, and it was passed in 2010. However, the Bill was never taken up for consideration in the Lok Sabha.

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The Bill will be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on September 21, government sources said. 

The five-day special session of the Parliament began on Monday and will end on Friday.

- With inputs from agencies

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