Parliament Live Updates: In a legislative landmark, both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or Women's Reservation Bill which reserves 33 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies for women.
Over 215 Rajya Sabha MPs voted in favour of the bill on Thursday, 21 September, with zero Nos and zero Abstentions. On Wednesday, the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha with 454 MPs voting in favour of it.
The Bill, which seeks to provide 33 percent reservation to women in Parliament and state Assemblies, had several Opposition MPs demanding a sub-quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and implementation of the legislation without long delays.
PM Modi also thanked all parties for their support of the Bill. Watch his address here.
The only two MPs who voted against the Bill in the Lok Sabha were AIMIM MPs Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel.
Opposition MPs on Wednesday demanded that the Bill be implemented immediately and the government should not wait for the census and delimitation exercises to complete.
BJP chief JP Nadda in the Rajya Sabha thanked PM Modi for women's reservation in the Parliament.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called the Bill a symbolic gesture.
"I have the courage to discuss China as well," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury who asked him if he has the courage to discuss China issue in the Lok Sabha.
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Rajya Sabha Passes Women's Reservation Bill
After a day of debate and discussions, the Upper House passed the landmark 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' (NSVA) or Women's Reservation Bill with a majority of 215 votes. No MPs voted against the bill or abstained from voting.
The Rajya Sabha is taking up each clause of the bill for voting while considering amendments tabled by MPs.
Voting Underway in Rajya Sabha
Voting on the Women's Reservation Bill is underway in the Rajya Sabha after a day of debate and discussions.
'Bill Will Lead to New Confidence': PM Modi
"This bill will lead to a new confidence in the people of the country. All members and political parties have played a significant role in empowering women and enhancing 'Nari Shakti'. Let us give the country a strong message," said PM Modi while addressing the Rajya Sabha in a debate on the Women's Reservation Bill.
'Not Opposing Bill But...': Mallikarjun Kharge
"I'm not opposing this bill, but I'm asking why are you not including women of backward classes? Do you want them to fall behind? More than 60% of the country's population belongs to OBCs," Kharge continued.
"This govt must also give a definite date for implementation. Their members have said that they do not lack commitment [...] Nadda sahab was taunting us about our demand for more OBC representation among govt secretaries. Do you have people from SC, ST communities in principal or joint secretary posts?" Kharge said.