New Delhi, April 3 As the Parliament is set to meet again to pass bills to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 so that the women's reservation law can be implemented at the earliest, TMC leader Derek O'Brien questioned the absence of the proposed legislation's draft.
In a statement, O'Brien, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader in the Rajya Sabha, slammed the Union government by raising concerns about parliamentary procedures being followed.
"We have a system in Trinamool. We have an All India Working Committee, headed by our Chairperson Mamata Banerjee. Systems are in place before policy decisions are made," O'Brien said.
"Modi-Shah think Parliament is the Gujarat Gymkhana! Where is the draft of the proposed legislation?" he said.
The Budget session of Parliament will reconvene on April 16 after a brief recess to pass bills to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 so that the women's reservation law can be implemented at the earliest, in what is expected to be the latest flashpoint between the government and the opposition amid the poll season.
While the government is keen on passing the bills, including amending the women's reservation bill or Nari Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, the opposition has accused the Centre of trying to hurriedly move for passing amendments to take political advantage in the state elections.
The two Houses will reconvene on April 16, with sources saying that the sitting will likely be for three days to take up the proposed pieces of legislation.