New Delhi: India's government has presented a bill to lawmakers aimed at giving the country's often-marginalized women by reserving one-third of legislative seats for them.
But there have already been strong protests against the moved by small socialist groups.
Some angry lawmakers tore papers and tried to snatch away the microphones in front of the chairman of the upper house of parliament as he announced on Monday that the bill has been moved by Law Minister Veerappa Moily.
Hamid Ansari, the chairman, adjourned a debate on the bill for one hour. Voting is expected later Monday.
The bill would raise the number of female lawmakers in the 545-seat lower house to 181 from the current 59.
It would nearly quadruple the number of women in the 250-seat upper house. The bill would also apply to state legislatures.
