Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has written to Congress President Rahul Gandhi after he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, starting July 18, saying let us offer a 'new deal' to Indian women to ensure equality and adequate representation.
Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has written to Congress President Rahul Gandhi after he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Monsoon Session and said, let us offer a 'new deal' to Indian women to ensure equality and adequate representation.
In a letter to Rahul Gandhi, Prasad said that the government welcomes the initiative to support the Bill but also asked the Congress chief as to why was the Bill allowed to lapse during UPA regime.
The minister, also said that the Bill should be passed along with anti-Triple Talaq Bill and Nikah Halala bills.
Earlier this week, in his letter to Modi, the Congress chief urged Modi to ensure that the bill gets passed in this session itself so that women can participate "more meaningfully" in the state elections later this year and in the Lok Sabha polls next year.
"The Government welcomes your initiative to support the Bill. However, the Government would like to understand fully the reasons why the Bill was not taken up for three years by the UPA Government in the Lok Sabha and allowed to lapse. The Government would also like to know whether all your allies and other opposition partners, who are coordinating with you, will also be supporting the Bill and not disrupting the House as they had done on earlier occasions when the Bill was brought to Parliament," Prasad said.
Stating that since you have shown your deep concern, Prasad said, "I propose that both the national parties - the BJP and the Congress, should come together and offer a 'new deal' to Indian women to ensure equality and adequate representation."
"As part of this 'new deal', we should approve, in both Houses of Parliament, the Women Reservation Bill, the law prohibiting Triple Talaq and imposing penal consequence on those who violate the law, and the law prohibiting Nikah Halala. You will appreciate that the latter two not only give the women of the Muslim community an unequal treatment but also seriously compromise their dignity."
Prasad also said that as national parties, they cannot have two set of standards in dealing with women and their rights. "We are already too late in conferring the right of adequate representation, equality in personal laws and doing away with such provisions which compromise with women's dignity. Another bill of significant social importance is granting of constitutional status to the National Commission on Backward Classes. It also deserves your party's unqualified support for assured passage. The Government would be eagerly awaiting for your response."
Last month, Prasad had urged former Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to cooperate with the government for passage of the Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha.
"22 Islamic countries have banned it. India is a secular country. Why are important leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamta Banerjee backtracking on it when the issue is purely justice and empowerment of women?” Prasad had said.
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