New Delhi [India], July 4 (ANI): BJP Rajya Sabha MP Manan Kumar Mishra on Saturday said that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 is expected to be discussed again in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament after the splits in the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have changed the numbers for the NDA in the Houses.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament will be held from July 20 to August 13, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said.
Speaking to ANI, Mishra also said that the Centre is expected to table the 130th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which provides for the automatic removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Union or State ministers from office if they are arrested and remain in judicial custody for 30 consecutive days in cases involving serious offences.
The Rajya Sabha MP acknowledged that 20 TMC MPs merging with the NCPI, six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs joining the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MPs merging with the BJP have made the NDA closer to the two-thirds majority in the Houses to get the Constitutional amendments passed.
He also took into consideration the rift between the DMK and Congress, after the latter quit the regional alliance and joined hands with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in Tamil Nadu.
He said, "Although the agenda hasn't been presented to us yet, that is something the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs decides. But based on our rough assessment, we expect the issue of 33 per cent women's reservation to be brought up again. Circumstances have changed significantly: we won in West Bengal, there has been a split within the TMC, the situation in Maharashtra has shifted, and the stance of the DMK has also changed."
"Given this situation, we expect measures regarding women's reservation and delimitation, and then there is the 130th Constitutional Amendment, often referred to as the 'PM-CM Bill', which entails automatic removal from office; if a Minister or Chief Minister remains in jail for more than 30 days, they would automatically vacate their office. Following that, issues concerning national security will be discussed; these are important items of business. We expect these to come up during the Monsoon Session," the BJP leader added.
During the special session of Parliament held on April 16-18, the Constitutional Amendment Bill aiming to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats and operationalise the women's reservation law was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
For the 130th Constitution Amendment Bill, a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) examining the controversial legislation is expected to adopt its report on July 17.
Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Ali Khatana said, "This session is part of the regular schedule, which we call the Monsoon Session, and we hope that both the ruling party and the opposition will bring forward matters beneficial to the common people and raise their issues. We also hope that both Houses remain fully functional throughout the session, conducting debates and discussions without arrogance or disruptions."
Meanwhile, RJD MP Manoj Jha lashed out at the Centre following the splits in the TMC and UBT Sena, terming them a "betrayal of the electorate's mandate." He said that the Opposition will raise the issue in the Parliament in the upcoming session.
The Opposition is also expected to corner the Centre on alleged donation embezzlement in the Ayodhya Ram Temple and bring up privilege proceedings against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accusing him of misleading the House over casualties of Indian soldiers during Operation Sindoor.
Manoj Jha said, "They try to use Parliament merely as a rubber stamp. When Parliament isn't in session, they engage in the engineering of splits within parties, which amounts to a betrayal of the Indian electorate's mandate. Fraud doesn't just happen with Ram Mandir donations; it happens to the Indian voter. Are they ready to discuss this? There are many issues which we wanted to discuss. Does the government have any clue regarding issues of equality? Do they have any idea about anything, from the theft of donations to employment?"
"Will the government be willing to openly discuss the wavering stance on foreign policy, the consequences of which we have witnessed from February until now? We will also ask what happened to the Pulwama report and the Pahalgam report; how far did those investigations progress, and who was at fault? Who is accountable? Who is responsible? These are all crucial questions which we wanted to ask," the RJD MP added. (ANI)
