GUWAHATI : Lok Sabha MP and Chairman of the parliamentary committee on External Affairs Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said that the Act East Policy needs to start 'acting' to pave the way for the region's progress.
"The northeast should be given a chance to gain from economic relations with Southeast Asian countries. We do have an Act East Policy (which was the Look East Policy under the UPA government), but it needs to 'act' in the real sense," Tharoor said at an interactive session at the North East Institute of Advanced Studies here on Sunday.
Speaking on Women’s Reservation Bill, Tharoor claimed that the BJP was not interested in introducing the much talked about Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, and asserted it will be passed immediately if his party comes to power.
The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and State Legislatures.
Referring to the Kathua and Unnao rape incidents, Tharoor said violence against women and children have been on rise during the last four years across the country.
Slamming the BJP-led central government over a number of developments during the last four years and its initiative about 'New India' Tharoor stated that in reality it tells us a different story.The reality is that of a narrow-minded majoritarianism being driven by a political belief that has divided the people, he added.