Rajya Sabha passes Women's Reservation Bill

After two days of bitter wrangling, the Rajya Sabha Tuesday passed the historic women's reservation bill giving 33 percent representation to women in parliament and state assemblies.

Rajya Sabha passed the billu00a0after 186 members voted in favour, while one MP voted against the Women's bill.

Moments before the voting, prime minister Manmohan Singh said the women's reservation bill set to pass in the Rajya Sabha Tuesday was "a historic step forward" towards the emancipation of Indian women.

"This is a momentous development in the long journey of empowering our women," he said at the end of a lively debate on the bill that seeks to reserve a third of seats in parliament and state assemblies for women.

"The bill that is going to be passed today is a historic step forward, a giant step forward in strengthening the process of emancipation (of women)," he said, drawing thunderous applause.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also apologised to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari for the "disrespect shown to you" by MPs opposed to the women's reservation bill.

"I owe you a profound apology for the disrespect shown to you. These things should never have happened. They have happened, and we have to reflect how to we have to streamline our functioning in future so that these things don't take place," he said in the upper house.

In the same breath, the prime minister acknowledged the role played by "all political parties whose cooperation has made it possible for us to enact this historic legislation".

On Monday and Tuesday, MPs from four parties including the Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Janata Dal came out strongly against the bill, insisting that there should be special reservation of seats for Dalit, tribal and Muslim women.

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