Women to the fore in Assembly

Hyderabad, March 09: It was women members to the fore in the State Legislative Assembly today, with Deputy Speaker N Manohar allowing them to speak on the International Women’s Day and on the Women’s Bill placed in Rajya Sabha.

Reacting to interruptions by male members, Seetha Dayakar Reddy of the TDP quipped that had the Bill been introduced five years ago and implemented in the last elections, the men disturbing the speech would not have been there in the Assembly at all.

While women Congress women members lauded the efforts of AICC president Sonia Gandhi for placing the Women’s Bill in the Rajya Sabha, TDP women members praised TDP founder NT Ramarao and Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu.

Most of the members urged the Government to reconstitute the Women’s Commission which became defunct two years ago.
Secunderabad MLA Jayasudha said that if the Bill was enacted it would be a historic event. She, however, expressed alarm over the rising incidence of rape and domestic violence.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu said it was the TDP which had always remained committed to the uplift of women, and called for the Bill to cover Rajya Sabha and the State Legislative Councils too. He also demanded that OBCs and minorities be given political reservation as per their population.
Chief Minister Rosaiah hoped that all Members of Parliament would support the Bill in Parliament.

PERSONAL MATTERS: While the chief minister was on his feet, TDP member G Muddukrishnama Naidu made certain comments which ultimately brought personal matters relating to Rosaiah and Chandrababu Naidu into the debate.
Chandrababu Naidu asked Rosaiah whether he had given 50 per cent of his assets to his only daughter, to which Rosaiah replied that he had done what he could according the mores prevailing at the time.

When Rosaiah remarked that Naidu did not want a girl child, Naidu said he had stood as a role model to the people by having only one issue.
He further said that though he had no daughter, he treated his daughterin- law as one.

“I have empowered my wife and am trying to empower my daughter-in-law too,’’ Naidu added, earning compliments from the chief minister.

—Agencies