BJP's scathing attack on Congress; asks why UPA govt allowed to lapse Women's Reservation Bill?

A day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi offered "unconditional support" to PM Narendra Modi on Women's Reservation Bill, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday took a pot-shot at the Gandhi scion regarding the same.

The union minister accused the UPA government of showing lethargy to pass the bill in Lok Sabha and asked to offer a new deal to ensure equality and adequate representation for Indian women.

The bill was originally introduced by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government and the BJP then offered support to get the bill passed in Rajya Sabha, Prasad added.

"As part of this new deal, we should approve, in both Houses of Parliament, the Women Reservation Bill, the law prohibiting Triple Talaq and imposing a penal consequence on those who violate the law, and the law prohibiting Nikah Halala," the law minister wrote in his letter.

The development came after Gandhi on Monday took to micro-blogging site Twitter and sought passage of the women’s reservation bill from the BJP-led NDA government.

"Our PM says he’s a crusader for women’s empowerment? Time for him to rise above party politics, walk-his-talk & have the Women’s Reservation Bill passed by Parliament. The Congress offers him its unconditional support," the tweet read.