Kolkata, April 9 (IANS) Trinamool Congress MP June Maliah on Thursday raised objections on the Central government’s timing to bring the Women’s Reservation Bill, “when Assembly elections are being conducted in five states”. She said that the Bill, which is scheduled to be discussed after the Parliament’s Budget session reconvenes on April 16, could have been brought up during the Monsoon session instead.

The primary agenda, which is scheduled to be discussed and debated during the three-day extended Budget session, will be the proposed amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), officially known as the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act.

Speaking to IANS, Maliah said, “I don’t understand what was the need to suddenly bring this (Bill), because Budget session just concluded and the Monsoon session is our next Parliament session. They (Centre) could have actually brought it (women’s Reservation Bill) up during the Monsoon session… knowing fully well that five states are going to polls and suddenly from April 16 to 18, there’s a special Parliament session.”

West Bengal is scheduled to vote in the two-phased Assembly election on April 23 and 29.

Maliah expressed gratitude to Trinamool Congress supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and party’s National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee for giving her the opportunity to speak on the Bill when the Parliament session reconvenes.

However, she added, “This could have been done much later.”

“As far as women’s reservation is concerned in West Bengal, Mamata Di (Banerjee) has already worked ahead of her time,” Maliah said.

The Trinamool MP also noted that for the party, the Bill is not going to make much of a difference.

“As much as 38 per cent women representation is there in the Parliament from the Trinamool Congress. In our state women are already prioritised,” she asserted.

She called the timing of the Centre’s move to bring the Bill, a “trick”.

“Five states are going to polls (now) so I suppose this is another trick by the BJP.”

Meanwhile, on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state, Trinamool MP Maliah alleged that the SIR process has ‘boomeranged’ on the BJP.

“From the voter’s list, 90 lakh (names) have been deleted, but it has boomeranged very badly on BJP. How? I’ll tell you. Because out of 90 lakh, 5,750,000 are Hindu voters who got deleted. Now, the math is very clear.”

–IANS

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