PM Modi has no intention to legislate on political empowerment of women: Cong

The Congress on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has no intentions of legislating on the political empowerment of women and he had lied to Indian women in the 2014 manifesto.

Sushmita Dev, MP and All India Mahila Congress chief, slammed Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad for urging the Congress to provide women with a "new deal" of equality and adequate representation by joining hands to pass the bills on women's reservation, instant triple talaq and nikah halala in Parliament.

She said it was "unfortunate" that the Law minister had turned into a "dealer" than legislating for women empowerment.

Prasad, whose ministry deals with issues of reservation in legislatures and personal laws, today responded to a letter by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi to the prime minister to bring in the bill on granting 33 per cent quota to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

He wrote to Gandhi suggesting that the Congress and the BJP join hands to get the three bills, as well as the measure on providing constitutional status to the National Commission on Backward Classes, passed in Parliament.

Responding to Prasad, Dev said, "If anybody had 1 per cent doubt about the fact that Prime Minister Modi has no intentions of legislating on the political empowerment of women, I think the letter establishes that." "It is extremely unfortunate that the Law Minister of India has turned into a dealer, rather than a minister who should legislate for women empowerment. I am shocked to see that he tries to cut a deal between two legislations, both of which impact women."

She asserted that the BJP manifesto in 2014 had no mention of 'Triple Talaq' and 'Halala', but did emphatically mention that 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies will be brought to both the Houses of Parliament.

"At the time when Prime Minister Modi travelled to length and breadth of the country with the manifesto parked on his shoulder and gave lengthy shrill speeches on women empowerment, that time, did he tell the women of India, that their political empowerment would be conditional?" Dev asked.

"Today, Ravi Shankar Prasad ji has established beyond doubt that Prime Minister Modi in the 2014 manifesto of the BJP, lied to the women of India," she said.

Responding to a question, Dev said the Congress, even before the Supreme Court judgment banning instant 'Triple Talaq', had made its stand very clear that it will welcome any progressive law that comes from the apex court.

"The Bill that was brought to the Lok Sabha passed and is now pending in the Rajya Sabha. It is a matter of record in Lok Sabha, I myself moved an amendment and vide that amendment, we requested the government to give a fund on behalf of the government of India for maintaining a woman who is a victim of instant 'Triple Talaq' rather than pushing her into a court with a cognizable, non bailable offence when her husband is likely to go to jail," she said.