MPs support Hema Malini's plea for women empowerment

New Delhi, Mar 9 (UNI) BJP MP and Bollywood star Hema Malini today made a passionate appeal to the government to help empower women, arguing that an educated and empowered woman could help fight the menace of communalism.

In her special mention in the Rajya Sabha, she gave an example of Hyderabad women volunteers who successfully prevented communal distubances in the city after riots erupted in Gujarat.

Many of the members, cutting across the gender and party lines, associated themselves with the cine star.

In other special mentions, Syeda Anwara Taimur (Cong) made a request for tapping natural resources of Assam for power generation.

Congress' Kamal Manhar wanted better irrigation facilities in Chhatisgarh while Matilal Sarkar (CPM) wanted the improvement of these facilities in Tripura.

From Andhra Pradesh, TDP member Rama Muni Reddy wanted more mobile testing labs in his state to prevent adulteration in the petroleum products, while his colleague Alladi P Rajkumar expressed his concern over the plight of backward classes.

TDP member N P Durga made a request for a legislative framework on non-biodegradable solid waste.

Narayan Singh Manaklao of the BJP asked for removal of gender disparity in education. BJP member from Himachal Pradesh Kirpal Parmar sought a ban on illegal mining in Chakki barrage.

T S Bajwa (PDP) and Harendra Singh Malik (INLD) raised issues of concern to Jammu.

Shiv Sena member Sanjay Raut wanted wheat import to stop, while TDP's K Rama Mohana Rao raised a demand for safety of Telugu workers in the UAE.

Congress member Shantaram Laxman Naik, who spoke in Konkani, made a demand for a legislation to inculcate scientific temper among the people.

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