Saharanpur, April 3 Congress MP Imran Masood, responding to Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's remarks on the Women's Reservation Bill, said on Friday that a special Parliament session has been convened for April 16, during which the legislation will be taken up for discussion.
Speaking to IANS, Masood underlined that the groundwork for women's reservation was laid during Sonia Gandhi's leadership and asserted that the Bill had already been passed earlier.
"It is not that the Bill was never cleared. It only requires implementation. There are certain legal hurdles, and the Union government is bringing it back to address those concerns," he said.
He also clarified that the April 16 session would be dedicated exclusively to deliberations on the Women's Reservation Bill, with no other matters listed on the agenda.
Taking a swipe at US President Donald Trump over his recent warning to Iran, Masood said such statements would have little impact.
"Whenever the US issues threats, Iran responds in its own way. Every time Trump says Iran will be destroyed, Iran gives a fitting reply," he remarked.
On the Chief Justice Surya Kant's observations regarding West Bengal, the Congress leader raised concerns over the alleged removal of voters' names from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
Masood termed the move as a serious threat to democratic values and said it amounted to undermining the electoral process.
The Congress MP also urged the Chief Justice to take cognisance of the issue.
Referring to the recent explosion outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, Masood questioned accountability, saying that the Union Territory falls under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry.
"If the law and order situation is deteriorating in Chandigarh, the Centre must clarify who is responsible," the Congress MP said.
Reacting to comments made by AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Masood noted there was nothing new in his remarks, adding that similar concerns have consistently been raised by his party.
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