New Delhi, April 18 Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday stepped up the Centre’s attack on the Opposition, a day after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill did not pass in the Lok Sabha, alleging that MPs opposed it due to political considerations, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s growing popularity.
Notably, the Bill proposed increasing the Lok Sabha's strength from 543 to 850 seats and also aimed to operationalise the 33 per cent reservation for women in the House and state Assemblies, a reform that had been promised but deferred until after the next delimitation.
Speaking to IANS, Meghwal said that the notification of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, issued by the Centre on April 16, was “part of the process”.
Blaming the opposition parties, he said: "They neither know nor understand it. I want to say that if the Women’s Bill had been passed, women would have received representation in the Lok Sabha as well as in the legislative assemblies, and they did not like that."
“They were afraid that if the Bill was passed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity would increase. That is why they did not let it pass,” he added.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s speech in the House, Meghwal said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the House that the Opposition can take the credit but let the Bill pass.”
He further alleged that the Congress and other opposition parties have done “injustice” to the women of the country, adding that “this cannot be condemned enough”.
Accusing the Opposition of celebrating the outcome, Meghwal said, “This is even more unfortunate. You are blocking women’s rights and then celebrating. Some were dancing and jumping there.”
He asserted that voters, including women, would “definitely teach them a lesson” for celebrating the obstruction of women’s rights.
Further, he accused Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of disrespecting the armed forces, saying, “He has insulted the military as well. He even called Operation Sindoor ‘magic’.”
A day earlier, Rahul Gandhi’s remarks referring to “the magician of Balakot, the magician of demonetisation, the magician of Sindoor” had triggered an uproar during a discussion in the Lok Sabha.
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