NEW DELHI: It was an emotional moment for many lawmakers as they bid final adieu to their second home – the old parliament building where they spent hours and hours debating laws, shouting slogans and rubbing shoulders with fellow MPs and journalists.
For Saroj Pandey, who has been a BJP MP for the last 15 years, the new building brings new hopes. “The Women’s Reservation Bill could not be passed in the old building, I hope and believe it sails through in the new building,” said Pandey, who has put nearly 450 questions before the government in the old building.
ALSO READ: Parliament a sacred ground: PM makes emotional pitch on first day
The old building of India’s parliament retired on Monday after serving British and Independent India for nearly a century.
She further added that during the course of BJP’s time at the Centre, many bills had been passed which sought the emancipation of India’s female citizens.
EXCLUSIVE: BJP MP @SarojPandeyBJP while speaking to The New Indian : The old Parliament played a pivotal role in abolishing Triple Talaq and witnessed the election of a record number of women MPs. Let’s hope the new Parliament takes another historic step by passing the Women’s… pic.twitter.com/GMYDIemyCQ
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) September 18, 2023
“During PM Modi’s tenure, this parliament saw the criminalisation of the triple talaq, it is also in this parliament that we saw the most female parliamentarians being elected, as well as the most number of female cabinet ministers being provided with a berth during this tenure,” an emotional Pandey reflected.
ALSO READ: Historic as parliament convenes in new building: Harbhajan Singh
Illustrating upon a new beginning in the lifetime of India’s democracy, the former mayor of Durg, Chhattisgarh, hoped for the new parliament to play upon the historic Constitutional values that the present Parliament had set forth, especially for women.
“Our parliament has set forth a historic legacy which has caused much pain, but also, it has caused much relief and joy in the lives of not just us parliamentarians but also, the citizens. I can only hope that we can set forth an example with the new parliament and provide a larger space for women in it,” she said.
The Women’s Reservation Bill seeks to reserve one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women, owing to a need for more female participation in the country’s lawmaking process.