New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) Welfare of the poor and empowerment of women are two cornerstones of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies, BJP leader and newly elected Rajya Sabha member Dinesh Sharma has said, lauding the passage of the women’s reservation bill.
Sharma, the former deputy chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, holds the distinction of being the last entrant of the historic old Parliament building when he took oath as member of the upper house on Monday during the special sitting.
“I was the last person to take oath as member of Rajya Sabha on Monday. In fact, I was the only person to take oath in either of the houses on the last day of working in the old Parliament building. On Tuesday, the very next day, we moved to the new building,” Sharma told PTI in an interview.
“I was congratulated by the house chairman (Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar) for the distinction of being the last parliamentarian in the old building,” he said.
However, the BJP leader said what made the day more historic for him was the introduction of the bill for reserving one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women.
After its passage in Lok Sabha this week, the Rajya Sabha unanimously voted in its favour on Thursday. It will now require the approval of a majority of state assemblies.
The 128th Constitution amendment bill, referred to as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, will be implemented after a delimitation exercise to redraw parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on the census which the government has said will be commissioned next year.
Sharma claimed the new bill “did not come overnight or suddenly” but were extension of Modi’s policies and initiatives since 2014 that were focused on women empowerment and welfare of the poor.
He cited examples of initiatives like Jan Dhan bank accounts, Ujjwala Yojna for LPG supply, Saubhagya Scheme for power connections, subsidies given for building homes and toilets, law against triple talaq as game-changing policies.
“The women’s reservation bill has been brought now. Whether LPG, or toilets, or giving homes registered in the name of family’s women, or law against instant divorce. All such initiatives were largely focused on women,” he said.
“Ever since Modi became the prime minister nine years ago, welfare of poor and women empowerment have remained the cornerstones of his initiatives and schemes. There is no caste or class distinction in government policies,” Sharma said.
He also came down heavily on the Congress over claims that its leaders had proposed reservation for women legislators in the past.
“The Congress likes to dream. It wakes up and goes back to sleep once again to dream something new. PM Modi, on the other hand, fulfills what the public dreams about. Congress leaders just dream and are never committed to realizing it. This is the difference (between BJP and Congress),” Sharma said.
“Had they (Congress) really wanted to do it, then why did they not do it when the Congress-led alliance had its government for straight 10 years. If he (Rahul Gandhi) could tear a bill brought by the Manmohan Singh government, why could he not help bring a new bill,” the BJP leader wondered.
“Inki neeti aur neeyat hamesha sandigdh rahi hai (Their policy and intention have also been under doubt). How would they know the suffering of women? They only wanted votes of women and minorities,” Sharma claimed. PTI KIS ZMN
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