Debate on women reservation bill: Smriti Irani attacks Sonia Gandhi in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Sep 20 (IANS) Launching an attack on Sonia Gandhi, Union minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday said in Lok Sabha that the Congress leader clarified in her speech earlier in the day that the 73rd and 74th Amendment to the Constitution were not done by a specific (Gandhi) family but by the Narasimha Rao government.

Irani, while participating in the discussion on the women's reservation bill, referred to Sonia Gandhi mentioning Rao's name, while speaking on the bill in the morning.

The minister said that it is the same Narasimha Rao, whose dead body was not allowed inside his own party's office.

Irani further said that women's reservation bill which was passed in Rajya Sabha during Manmohan Singh's government, had a provision for reservation only for 10 years, whereas in the current bill being discussed, the reservation will be for 15 years.

Further attacking the Congress, Irani said that while the BJP runs according to the Constitution, the opposition party believes in destroying it.

If we look from the perspective of the dignity of the Constitution, then (Goddess) Lakshmi has taken a Constitutional form through this bill, she said further.