New Delhi. – A new move to empower women and the diplomatic standoff between India and Canada influenced news events here in the news week ending today.
In a five-day special session, Parliament passed the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill, which gives women a third of the seats in the Lower House (Lok Sabha) and state assemblies; not so in the Rajya Sabha (upper house or Senate).
The initiative called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam received the approval of a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha and subsequently all members of the Rajya Sabha supported it. As a result, the Senate established a committee consisting of 13 vice presidents to facilitate the historic Labor Day debates.
In his remarks to the Upper House, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all members, parties and their leaders to support the draft constitution and described the debates in the two houses on the proposal as fruitful.
He stressed that the comprehensive analyzes, he said, will be extremely useful in the country’s next parliamentary trip and thanked MPs for the interest shown in the amendment that increases the presence of women in the legislature, considering that they currently only accounts for 15 percent. of national representatives and 10 percent in the state parliaments.
Modi also envisioned a bright future for India by approving the project, as he said it would enable the country’s progress by promoting women leadership and contribute to building the nation they desire.
Earlier in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister acknowledged the contribution of women in all sectors of society and reiterated the importance of encouraging greater collaboration among women in formulating public policy.
He noted that the proposal represents a step forward towards the goal of making India a developed country by 2047.
Another news event that was still in full swing was the escalation of the diplomatic confrontation between India and Canada, which led to the expulsion of officials of both countries, as well as the suspension of the issuance of visas by the authorities of the Asian country to the North American state due to security problems, such as they claimed.
Relations, already somewhat tenuous in recent months, plummeted after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made serious allegations, without providing any evidence, about the alleged involvement of Indian authorities in violent actions on Canadian territory.
Based on this argument, Ottawa authorities fired a diplomat from the Asian country.
India strongly rejected these statements, which it described as absurd, motivated and baseless, saying that the Canadian government wanted to divert attention from terrorists and extremists operating in the northern territory of the American continent.
At a press conference, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Aringdam Bagchi pointed out that the suspension of consular services in Canada was due to Ottawa’s inaction in the face of explicit threats of attacks, deaths or other violent events against Indian diplomats generated.
The incitement to violence has created an environment that has affected the work of the High Commission and consulates there, which is why visa provision services have been suspended and the measure will remain in place until the situation is resolved, Bagchi said.
The MEA official also confirmed the communication to the Canadian High Commissioner (Ambassador) based in New Delhi about the reduction of his officials in India in proportion to the rank and number of the Asian nation’s diplomatic presence in Canadian territory.
India has repeatedly provided Canadian authorities with information about activities in the northern country that are considered dangerous to the integrity of the union, and Ottawa has so far taken no countermeasures, he said. (PL)