Lucknow,

April 30 (HS): Leader of the Opposition in Uttar Pradesh Assembly Mata Prasad

Pandey objected to a motion moved on Thursday during the Assembly's one-day

special session here, claiming that things outside the scope of the state

administration could not be discussed. As soon as House proceedings began,

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna informed members of the

Business Advisory Committee's recommendations.

In

response, Pandey, a former speaker of the Assembly, stated that the Rules of

Procedure prohibit debate or vote on any item that does not fall under the

competence of the state government. Implementation of the women's reservation

bill is solely the responsibility of Parliament, not the state government, and

hence should not be debated here.

Pandey

stated that the Samajwadi Party does not oppose women's empowerment or

reservation; rather, it supports them. However, the motion's precise

terminology, which states that 'obstacles' are being created regarding the

'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', is offensive, he added, questioning where these

obstacles were being formed and where this specific issue originated. In

response, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna stated, It is

regrettable that the leader of the opposition, who has previously served as

speaker of this House, is raising concerns about such an important issue.

Our motion focuses on women's empowerment, not their reservation. The central

government has control over reservation issues.

Khanna

noted that they were not arguing the subject of quota, but rather the

empowerment of Uttar Pradesh's women, who make up half of the state's

population. This resolution was introduced fully in conformity with Rule 103 of

the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, he stated. Citing the Rules of Procedure,

Assembly Speaker Satish Mahana issued a judgment confirming that the intended

discussion may go place. He stated that under Rule 103 of the Rules of

Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, a

motion may be brought in the House with the speaker's agreement, and a discussion

on such a move is permitted.

The

Speaker finished by stating that there are no restrictions on a conversation

about women's empowerment. It is possible to discuss any issue of public

concern... In a parliamentary democracy, the authors of the Constitution did

not provide any precise procedures for discussing specific topics. Various

societal or public topics may be discussed with the permission of the House and

the speaker's assent. Mahana stated that the Legislative Assembly is competent

and sovereign in defining its own processes. Under Rule 103, the speaker's

judgment on the admissibility of a motion and its subject matter is final.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi