Kiran Rijiju meets Rahul Gandhi, credit: X
New Delhi: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday met Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for the second time in three days to ask for Congress' support for the proposed women's reservation and delimitation bill. The government is luring support prior to bringing the bill into Parliament.
According to sources, Gandhi told Rijiju that Congress wants the government to call an all-party meeting before introducing the bill. Rijiju, however, did not guarantee that such a meeting will be convened.
"I had a constructive meeting with Rahul Gandhi. I brought up a few important concerns and addressed some other issues too. Congress and other opposition parties will cooperate as well as communicate on a routine basis," Rijiju said to reporters in the Parliament House complex.
The latest phone call came after Rijiju met Gandhi twice in the past 10 days as part of the government's efforts to ensure Parliament functions smoothly. The Centre is also expected to reach out to other opposition leaders including Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, the DMK leadership and NDA allies to gather wider support for the bill.
The government will bring the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill for consideration in the present Monsoon Session. The legislation would provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures before the general elections in 2029. The move will be accompanied by a fresh delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2011 Census. The Bill will also freshen up the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats.
Sources said the amended draft bill could include additional amendments that were supposed to answer concerns of the southern states. Among the possible amendments is to augment the existing seats in the Lok Sabha of all states by 50 per cent irrespective of their population.
Speaking of his meeting with Gandhi, Rijiju said that political parties may have differences but should cooperate on key national matters
"They may be their political rivals, but they are not their enemies. We should, for the national interest, work together. But it seems as if the opposition is determined not to allow Parliament to work. And in the end it is the people who will suffer because of it," he added.
Responding to the opposition's demand for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's presence in the House, Rijiju said Shah has been attending Parliament regularly and has been present whenever bills related to his ministry are discussed.
The government is hoping to marshal enough support to get the bill through during the remaining four days before the Monsoon Session wraps up on Aug.13 after an earlier attempt earlier this year to do so failed.
Rijiju clarified that the government will not hold a special session for the bill but will bring the bill in the sitting of the present Parliament.
