Rajya Sabha members, including Trinamool Congress’ Derek O’Brien and Congress’ Rajeev Gowda, on Friday assured the transgender community that they will not let the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill pass in the Upper House in its present form and ensure that it is sent to the select committee for modifications.
Calling the Bill a dangerous piece of legislation that ignores the issues raised by them, members of the transgender community on Friday staged a protest against it at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Mr. Gowda said a “massive injustice” is being perpetuated through the Bill. “We saw that without much discussion, the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha. The Bill, which claims to protect the rights of the transgender community, is actually doing the exact opposite,” he said.
“When it comes to Rajya Sabha, there is a whole group of us gathered across party lines who will send it to select committee. That will give us a chance to sit with it, to work on improving it and to counter all the negativity infused by the government into the Bill,” he said.
DMK Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi Siva said the Bill is “absurd”.
“The government does not even have an idea as to what is a transgender. Going through a medical test to prove that you are a transgender is an insult rather than a right given through the Bill,” he said.
Derek O’Brien promised that the Bill will not get passed in Rajya Sabha. “My message is that don’t worry, TMC is the third-largest party in Rajya Sabha and 47 MPs from the party promise that the Bill will not be passed in Rajya Sabha,” Mr. O’Brien said.
CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem also promised the party would not let it pass in its current form.
