north east online - north east india news: Mar 9, 2010

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Impasse over Women''s Reservation Bill: Rajya Sabha adjourned

New Delhi, Mar 9 (ANI): The Rajya Sabha was adjourned within minutes of reconvening on Tuesday as members began to shout slogans against the Women''s Reservation Bill.

Vice President Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till noon.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, who are opposing the Women''s Reservation Bill met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

The leaders asked Dr Manmohan Singh to defer Women''s Bill and call an all-party meeting to evolve consensus.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, the leaders said that the Women''s Bill in its current form cannot be pushed through the Parliament.

The SP and the RJD, two regional parties who account for 26 seats on Monday decided to withdraw support to the UPA Government over the Women''s Reservation Bill.

While the Congress-led coalition still has a majority with 272 seats in the upper house of Parliament, the withdrawal gives the government less breathing room over key pending economic legislations. (ANI)

Women''s Reservation Bill: Unruly Rajya Sabha MPs suspended for rest of session

New Delhi, Mar 9 (ANI): Seven Rajya Sabha MPs, who had created a ruckus on Monday during the tabling of the Women''s Reservation Bill, were suspended for the rest of Parliament session on Tuesday.

The suspended MPs are: Nand Kishore Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Kamal Akhtar (Samajwadi Party), Aamir Alam Khan (Samajwadi Party), Veerpal Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Subash Yadav (Rashtriya Janata Dal and party chief Lalu Prasad''s brother-in-law), Sabir Ali (Lok Janshakti Party) and Ejaz Ali (Janata Dal-United).
The motion for their suspension was moved by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan and was passed by a voice vote

Chairman Hamid Ansari also adjourned the House till 2.pm. But the seven MPs did not go out of the House and sat on the floor protesting against their suspension

The action was taken under Rule 256 of the House, for showing total disregard for dignity of Council and authority of the Chair by obstructing the business of the House.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had on Monday telephoned Ansari and expressed regret over attempts by some MPs to attack him in the Rajya Sabha over the Women''s Reservation Bill.

Ansari was subjected to a near-assault by MPs opposed to the Women''s Reservation Bill.
Soon after Ansari read out a message over the Bill, SP and RJD members demanded a discussion on why the commission''s report recommending reservation to minorities, was not being implemented.

Ansari said they could raise the issue during Zero Hour and pleaded with them to allow Question Hour to proceed.

SP and RJD members, however, continued to shout slogans seeking implementation of the report. They tore up copies of the bill and threw them at Ansari. Some also grabbed microphones on the chairman''s table.

The security attendants had to swing into action and shield the Chairman. (ANI)

Motion to vote on Women''s Reservation Bill passed in Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, Mar 9 (ANI): Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari on Tuesday passed the motion to vote on the Women''s Reservation Bill in the House.

An adoption of motion was passed in the House to begin the voting process.

For the bill to be passed, there needs to be the support of at least 155 members. Rajya Sabha has 233 members. Out of which, 177 are in favour of the bill and 35 against it.

Meanwhile, around 50 Marshalls were called in to evict the errant MPs from the House and bring order. All the seven suspended MPs were asked to leave the House.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Opposition however, are protesting in the House for the Congress Government held no discussions over the bill.

Senior BJP leader and leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley said, "Debate over the Women''s Reservation Bill is important in the House."

"The BJP is in favour of the bill and is ready to provide all support for the bill to be passed," he added. (ANI)

Noisy scenes in Tripura assembly

The Tripura Assembly today witnessed noisy scenes with opposition legislators insisting on a specific reply from School Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty on appointment of teachers through job forms.

Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman wanted to know from School Education minister, Tapan Chakraborty when the government would issue offers of appointment in Education department.

Chakraborty said that interview for appointment of under-graduate teachers started from today and interview for appointment of graduate and post-graduate teachers have been completed and offers of appointment would be issued in due course.

When Roy Barman insisted he wanted to know definite time, the minister said that it would not be possible to declare any particular date by when offers would released.

Two Congress MLAs, Subal Bhowmik and Biswabandhu Sen, joined Roy Barman and alleged that the government was dragging its feet for political reasons.

Angered by the allegations, the minister said he was unable to declare any particular date for issue of appointment letters.

Opposition MLAs then rushed to the well of the house and started chanting slogans against the minister.

As the opposition legislators continued to chant slogans and thump desks the Speaker, Ramendra Debnath adjourned the House for 10 minutes.

Two Assam Rifles men killed in Manipur ambush

Two Assam Rifles personnel were killed and another was critically injured in an ambush by insurgents on a convoy in Manipur's Thoubal district today, official sources said.

The insurgents fired at the personnel of the 15th Assam Rifles convoy at Salungfam area, about 27 km from Imphal, at around 10:00 am.

While one securityman was killed on the spot another later succumbed to his injuries.

The insurgents escaped after the attack.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the ambush.

Human rights activist Irom Sharmila honoured

Civil rights activist and poetess Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast to death for nine years demanding withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958 from Manipur, has been honoured by a Kerala-based famous human rights foundation.

The Myilamma Foundation conferred the 'Myilamma Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award 2009' on February 24 to Sharmila, who has been staying at J N Hospital at Porompat in Imphal where it was converted into a jail for her, a spokesperson of the Sharmila Kanba Lup (Save Sharmila Committee) said on Monday.

The award was handed over to her by foundation chairman Ramadas Kadirur, general secretary M N Giri and several other human rights activists.

They said the fast of Sharmila demanding withdrawal of AFSPA under which human rights were "abused" by the security forces was justified and blamed the central government for its failure to pay any attention to it.

To spread the movement launched by Sharmila nationwide, a protest would be launched till March 14 at different parts of the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, the spokesperson said.

Sharmila, who was awarded 'Gwangju 2007' by South Korea-based Asian Human Rights Organisation, has been on fast since November 2, 2000.

Women's Reservation Bill will empower women: Gogoi

The Women's Reservation Bill will go a long way in ensuring political and economic empowerment of women, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said today.

"In Assam, we have already implemented reservation of women in the local bodies and this has paid dividends in rural development though much remains to be done," he said at a function here organised to mark International Womens' Day.

Describing the day this year as historic as the Women's Reservation Bill is expected to be passed today, he stressed the need for education for ensuring political, legal and economic empowerment of women.

Empowerment is not possible without education and the state government has laid great stress on this sector. "My government has taken several measures to ensure economic and political empowerment through education though I admit gender bias still exists in our society," he said.

The position of women in Assam was considerably better than in other parts of the country but "gender bias definitely exists and the girl child is neglected," he said and asked NGOs and social organisations to join hands with the government to ensure that women are empowered in all spheres.

The function was organised by Assam Womens' Commission, Assam Social Welfare department and Assam State Aids Control Society and was attended among others by Assembly Deputy Speaker Pranati Phukan and Social Welfare Minister Akon Bora.

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