Modi asks BJP MPs to reach out to transgenders, seeks their 2-year report card

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday sought report card of each BJP MP and set them a target to reach out to about 5 lakh transgender persons. At the weekly meeting of BJP’s parliamentary party in the Capital, Modi asked parliamentarians to hold rallies and meeting of the socially marginalised section, which is “looked down upon” for something they are not responsible. Modi said people will say the RSS and the BJP were getting liberal in taking such a stand but it was an issue that needs to be addressed without further delay.

“Humanity is not confined to male or female. We are giving a social status to them. Go and meet them. Have meetings and rallies of such people,” Modi told MPs, as he identified the government bill related to transgender persons as a great step towards social reforms. A bill seeking to define who a transgender and prohibit discrimination against them in education, employment, healthcare and other such matters was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 2.

It seeks to confer rights upon transgender person to be recognised as such, and a right to self-perceived gender identity, issue of certificate of identity; provide for a grievance redressal mechanism in each establishment and punishment for contraventions of the provisions of the Bill. It also envisages setting up a National Council for Transgender persons. The bill was listed in the Lok Sabha for consideration and passing, but could not be taken up.

The PM asked party MPs to felicitate finance minister Arun Jaitley and his two deputies in every state capital and other prominent cities over the passage of the GST bill, which he said will benefit the small scale entrepreneur.

The PM also asked MPs to give an online report to him about the works that they have done in their constituency and outside. “It is nearly two years of you getting elected as member of Parliament. Some of you have shared the works done by you, but most of the others haven’t,” he said.

The PM asked them to make full use of social media to highlight their activities during the BJP’s proposed ‘Tiranga Yatra’.