NEW DELHI: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday demanded for the passage of the contentious Women’s Reservation Bill in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.
The issues for the passage of the bill was raised by party representative Pinaki Misra at the all-party meeting convened by the government for the smooth conduct of the budget session that began on Friday.
Misra said Odisha Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik had directed him to raise the issue of the passage of the bill.
“BJD gave 7 out of 21 MP tickets to women in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, being the only political party to do so. Five of our women MPs won and so did 2 BJP MPs, so CM (Patnaik) is happy that Odisha is the only state in the country to have one third women MPs in LS,” Misra said.
The BJD’s demand for the passage of the bill was supported by the YSR Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samiti.
Misra said the BJD feels that the time has come when the Lok Sabha must pass the bill.
The pathbreaking bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Deve Gowda government on September 12, 1996.
Snatching of papers from presiding officers and ministers and scuffles became a familiar scene each time the bill made its way to parliament before it was aborted. (agencies)
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