Parliament Special Session LIVE: 'Transition From Britain To Bharat' Says Govt As New Building Officially Now Sansad

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said reacted to the Union cabinet approving the Women Reservation Bill and said, “As head of the only political organisation that already uses a 33% rule. by reserving one-third of all office-bearer positions for women (the All-India Professionals’ Congress @ProfCong), I welcome reports that the women’s reservation bill, passed by the UPA Government 15 years ago in the Rajya Sabha, will at last be brought to the Lok Sabha. When it is passed, it will be a historic moment — an overdue acknowledgement of how indispensable women’s perspectives are in the nation’s legislatures. Looking forward to its swift passage!”

Leader of House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal said that it is a historic moment to enter the new Parliament building. He said that on Monday, had a good discussion and shared their memories. Goyal said that the new Parliament building is the symbol of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, “the sengol will guide all of us to the right direction”.

BJP leader Amit Malviya reacted to Sonia Gandhi saying that the Women Reservation Bill is ‘theirs’ and said, “Sonia Gandhi must be delusional to think that the Women Reservation Bill is ‘theirs’…Let me remind the Congress that Rajiv Gandhi even failed to secure reservation for women in rural and urban local bodies. The Bill he introduced in Sept 1989, failed in the Rajya Sabha.”

“It was then left to P V Narasimham Rao, the man Congress loves to hate, who in 1992 and 1993, reintroduced the Constitution Amendment Bills 72 and 73, which reserved one third (33%) of all seats and chairperson posts for women in rural and urban local bodies. Thereafter the Congress has dragged its feet on Women Reservation Bill since 1996…लेकिन क्रेडिट चाहिए!” he added.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that from today onwards the leaders will sit in the new Parliament and said that this transition is from Britain to Bharat in context to the government’s bid to remove colonial history.

All the top leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar have gathered at the Central Hall of the old Parliament building.

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs gathered today outside the old Parliament building for a joint photograph.

Reacting to the Union Cabinet approving the Women Reservation Bill, AAP MP Sushil Gupta said, “For a decade this bill was pending after being passed by the Rajya Sabha. It should have been passed almost ten years ago when the Modi government came into power. For this, a special session had to be called. Better late than never, this should happen. Women should get their rights…AAP is always in support of the better representation of women…There’s no doubt that the bill was passed in Rajya Sabha during the Congress government. But it could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. Both BJP and Congress are to be blamed for that time…”

TMC MP Dola Sen said, “It is a compulsion of the election, nothing else. Elections are approaching, they have done nothing in the last 9.5 years…If they will bring the Women’s Reservation Bill, we will support it…Better late than never…”

Following a joint photograph of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members, Congress leader Karti Chidambaram posted on X and said, “The joint photograph of LS & RS members could have been better organised. Many senior members were greatly inconvenienced, with one of them momentarily fainting.”

Bidding adieu to the old Parliament, prime minister Narendra Modi, union ministers and MPs pose for a photo outside the old building.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been seated in between Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Senior Congress leader and former leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi when asked about the Women Reservation Bill said, “It is ours, apna hai”, as she arrived at Parliament for day-2 of the special session.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has arrived at Parliament.

On the Women’s Reservation Bill, JMM MP Mahua Maji said, “We welcome it as we ourselves have been demanding it for a long time. As I belong to a tribal state, I want that in this bill that SC, ST and OBC women get reservations. If this does not happen then the upper-class women will take all the profit from it…”

Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge has left from his residence for the Parliament.

Security personnel have turned up at the Parliament building in new uniforms.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal reacted on the Union Cabinet passing the women reservation bill and posted on X, “Wonder why Modi ji, if introduced, waited for almost 10 years when almost all political parties are in support? 2024 is perhaps the reason. But if the government does not provide quota for OBC women BJP may also lose UP in 2024! Think about it!”

All the MPs have started to assemble outside the old Parliament building for a photo session.