TCN News with inputs from IANS
New Delhi, Jan 8:
Among the 8 bills listed today in Rajya Sabha in the winter session, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2018 were also in the list for discussion and voting.
However the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for tomorrow with no discussions as there were protests from the opposition and they were shouting slogans about the misuse of the CBI and thus there were repeated adjournment in the House today.
The winter session of Parliament was scheduled to conclude on Tuesday, but the government informally announced that Rajya Sabha would work for one more day.
Outside Parliament, the MPs expressed dismay and said they had been taken by surprise by the government’s unilateral announcement about the extension of working days. “Our only source of information was a news agency. We came to know through it that the sitting of the House of which I am a member is being extended by one day,” said an MP. “If at all it has to be extended, it has to be announced first that the House is being extended. And then it has to be pronounced that it would meet tomorrow at this time. That has not been done. So who knows the House sitting was being extended? No one. This is unethical,” DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, who is also on the panel of Deputy Chairpersons of the Rajya Sabha, told IANS. Congress leader Raj Babbar termed the incident as “unprecedented” in the history of Rajya Sabha. He said there was “no discussion” about the extension either on Tuesday or on Wednesday from the government’s side.
There is also stiff opposition for the above mentioned two bills by Muslim women and the transgender community.
The transgender community in Telangana also held a rally on 6th in Hyderabad. Swarmed by police, transgender persons and sex workers stormed the streets of Hyderabad yet again today sloganeering:
“Hyderabadi Biryani Acha Hai !
Modi Sarkar Luchha Hai” !
They demanded that Rajya Sabha must send the extremely problematic Trans Bill and Anti-Trafficking Bills to the Select Committee. They were in favour of Sivan’s private member bill.
While the Muslim women all over demand the Triple Talaq bill to be sent to a select committee before being tabled. There is also stiff opposition from the Muslim clerics and even lay persons over the way a civil matter is being criminalised.
With the house adjourned for tomorrow there is likelihood that the opposition may boycott the proceedings over the recently proposed bill of 10% reservation to economically weaker people belonging to the general category.