TMC pushes for Women's Reservation Bill in last week of Budget Session

TMC floor leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien said on Monday that he has given notice to move a motion for the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upper house.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien on Monday gave a notice under Rule 168 in the House and moved a motion seeking to introduce the Women's Reservation Bill this week in Parliament. Taking to Twitter TMC MP dared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce the long-pending bill in Parliament.

He claimed that while 37 per cent of TMC MPs are women, the figure stood at only 13 per cent for the ruling BJP. "OPEN DARE to 56 inch @PMOindia government. Introduce the long pending WOMEN’s RESERVATION BILL in #Parliament Rajya Sabha this week (before April 8). Accept and put to vote @AITCofficial motion under Rule 168. @mamataofficial walks the talk. Mr Modi come follow the leader," tweeted O'Brien.

The Women's Reservation Bill was introduced in 1996 aiming to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. It was introduced by the United Front government led by Deve Gowda in the Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha it was introduced in 2008. The Bill was referred to the Standing Committee in 2008. It was passed in Rajya Sabha in 2010 following scrutiny by the Standing Committee and sent to the Lok Sabha. But the Bill lapsed as the 15th Lok Sabha ended in 2014.