The historic Women's Reservation Bill has been passed on the second day of the action surrounding it. The Rajya Sabha voted on the bill without debate, even as there was threat of a repeat performance of yesterday's shameful scenes in the Upper House.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi met with the PM Manmohan Singh earlier today, in a meeting in which Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Home Minister P Chidambaram.
7 RS MPs were suspended for their unruly behaviour yesterday - Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (all SP), and Ejaz Ali. These MPs had created a ruckus yesterday soon after Law Minister Veerappa Moily had moved the landmark women's resevration bill. However, even after suspension, these MPs were unwilling to leave the House.
The Rajya Sabha kept getting adjourned today as well, following disruption by leaders of SP, RJD and JD (U).
At around 3pm, however, Chairman Hamid Ansari put the Women's Bill to vote in the Rajya Sabha. The House is being protected by 25 marshals who have evicted the 7 suspended MPs.
Arun Jaitley has said that the BJP is unequivocally in support of the bill.
The Women's Reservation Bill will give women a 33% reservation in Parliament as well as state legislatures.