BJD leader calls for passage of Women's Reservation Bill, says less respresentation of women in parliament 'shameful'

New Delhi [India], September 17 : Member of Parliament and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Pinaki Misra on Sunday said that the Women's Reservation Bill should be passed in the special session of the Parliament to be held from September 18 to 22.
He said that it is very shameful that there is such less representation of women in the parliament.
The BJD leader pushed the table for the Women’s Reservation Bill at the All-party meeting and stated that there has been a near unanimity for the passage of the bill in the new parliament building.
"It is a matter of happiness that there is going to be a transition from the old parliament building to the new parliament building. I congratulate everyone on behalf of Biju Janata Dal for the new parliament building. We are happy that the government has called for a short session for the inauguration of the new parliament building," Pinaki Misra told media after the all-party meeting.
Speaking about the Women Reservation Bill, Misra said, "Today, we (BJD) made a strong pitch for the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill during the five-day parliament session."
"This is the beginning of a new era in the new parliament building and in this era the participation of women must increase. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also for many years had been requesting to the Central government to table the long-pending Women Reservation Bill," said Misra.
There has been a near unanimity in the demand for the bill in the new parliament building because there are more than 60 MPs seated inside the parliament out of which there are only 4 women MPs, Misra added.
"It is very shameful that there is such a less representation of women in the parliament when they constitute about 50 per cent population of the country," he said.
Earlier in the day, an all-party meeting began in the Parliament Library building, ahead of the Special Session of Parliament which begins tomorrow.
Union Minister Rajnath Singh and leaders of opposition parties arrived to attend the all-party meeting in the national capital.
Earlier on Wednesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that a meeting of the floor leaders of all parties has been called on September 17, a day before the five-day-long sitting Special Session is scheduled.
The Special Session will be held from September 18 to 22.
The Monsoon Session of Parliament, which concluded last month, was held in the old Parliament building.
The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliament’s 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha that first met on December 9, 1946.
A discussion on 'Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings' will be held in Parliament on the first day of the five-sitting long special session, a parliamentary bulletin said on Wednesday.
The announcement of the Special Session came as a surprise in political circles with the parties gearing up for assembly polls in five states later this year.
Earlier today, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar hoisted the national flag at the new Parliament building a day before the commencement of the Special Session of Parliament.
The Special Session, starting on Monday will see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.Dhankhar hoisted the flag atop "Gaja Dwar" of the new Parliament building. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also present on the occasion.