Meenakshi Lekhi

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Meenakshi Lekhi
Member of the India Parliament
for New Delhi
Assumed office
27 May 2014
Preceded by Ajay Maken
Majority 1,62,708 (16.77%)
Personal details
Born (1967-04-30) 30 April 1967 (age 56)
New Delhi
Political party Bharatiya Janata Party
Alma mater Hindu College, University of Delhi
Occupation Lawyer

Meenakshi Lekhi (born 30 April 1967) is an Indian Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from New Delhi constituency.[1] She is the national spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party[2] and a Supreme Court of India lawyer. Meenakshi Lekhi won the high profile New Delhi parliamentary constituency with over 4.5 lakh votes as a BJP candidate in the 2014 elections.[3] Besides numerous articles in journals, periodicals and newspapers on social issues, she participates in various television shows on matters on national and international importance. Lekhi writes Forthwrite, a fortnightly column in The Week magazine.

Early life

After completing B.Sc. in Botany from Hindu College, Delhi,[4] Meenakshi Lekhi joined Campus Law Centre-I, Delhi University for her LLB. She enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi in 1990, and started practising at the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, and several other courts, tribunals and forums in different parts of the country.

Legal career

Meenakshi Lekhi has argued a wide variety of matters in Indian courts such as bails, revisions, trials, appeals, criminal writs, murder references, Prevention of Corruption Act/Official Secrets Act/Customs Act/FERA prosecutions, domestic violence and family law disputes. She has been a part of the Drafting Committees for Bills like 'Women's Reservation Bill' and 'Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill'. The latter was passed by the Parliament as an Act in 2013.

Meenakshi Lekhi represented the media in court to get the ban on media coverage of case proceedings revoked. She was successful in this effort.[5] She took up the case of permanent commissioning of women in the Indian armed forces in the Supreme Court.[6] Meenakshi Lekhi was also the lawyer of the victim in the Shanti Mukund Hospital rape case.[7]

Social Work

Meenakshi Lekhi has been a member of the National Commission for Women's special committee, Chairperson of the Special Task Force on Women Empowerment, Vice Chairperson of JPM, Blind School (New Delhi) and Joint Secretary of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi.

Work as a Member of Parliament

Meenakshi Lekhi contested elections from the coveted New Delhi parliamentary constituency in the General Elections 2014 and defeated incumbent Ajay Maken by a wide margin of 2.7 lakh votes.[8] She is currently the Presiding Officer of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).[9] She is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (India chapter) and has been nominated as a member of the Press Council of India by the Lok Sabha Speaker.[10] As a Member of Parliament, she is currently an active member of the Standing Committee on Urban Development, Committee of Privileges, Consultative Committee of Commerce and Committee of Housing.[11]

On 28 Aug 2015, Ministry of Urban Development & NDMC approved the renaming of Aurangzeb Road as Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road.[12] Mrs. Lekhi has been a Chairperson of NDMC between Jan 2014 - Jan 2015 [13] & as MP from New Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency), is automatically a member of the council. In both her roles at the council, she had been foremost in renaming of the road in honour of India's "Missile Man" & one of the most loved Presidents of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. She was supported by other BJP MPs & Apna Dal MP, Anupriya Patel.[14]

Constituency

  • Meenakshi Lekhi adopted Pillanji Gaon within the first 100 days of the new government on 5 September 2014 under PM Modi's Adarsh Gram Yojana (Adopt a Village) initiative. She organised a skill development programme by famous herbal entrepreneur, Shehnaz Husain, for women in Pillanji Gaon free of cost.
  • Regularised approximately 8000 workers who had completed more than 500 days in NDMC
  • Camps for Jan Dhan Yojana (PM Modi's scheme for financial inclusion) organised in East Patel Nagar, Moti Nagar, Baljit Nagar, Zamarudpur village and BR Camp in New Delhi constituency.
  • Foot overbridges constructed for the safety of pedestrians at three key points in New Delhi constituency: Jhandewalan Mandir constructed by PWD, Govt. of Delhi; Laid foundation stone of foot overbridge on Africa Avenue Marg, Mohammadpur village; Laid foundation stone for foot overbridge on Rohtak Road
  • Flagged off work of laying gas pipelines of Indraprastha Gas Ltd at Kailash Colony
  • Inaugurated first open gym in India at Lodhi Gardens, initiated by NDMC
  • Launched ‘Health without Medicine’ awareness campaign involving all mandals in New Delhi constituency
  • Swachh Bharat campaigns held throughout New Delhi constituency. Launched ‘Stop Spitting in Public Places’ awareness campaign at Connaught Place.
  • Skill Development programmes organised for youth and women at Moti Nagar, Kotla Mubarakpur, East Patel Nagar, Chirag Dilli and Shahpur Jat.
  • Sanitation and water supply projects:
  1. Inaugurated Underground Water Reservoir facility at Kirti Nagar. Capacity of 20.9 mn litres and will benefit 1.5 lakh people.
  2. Four mobile toilets set up in Delhi Cantonment benefitting thousands of people in slum clusters
  3. Inaugurated 2 toilet blocks (17 units) at Kali Bari
  4. Inauguration of toilet facilities at Coolie Camp, Vasant Vihar
  5. Ensured proper functioning of drainage system in Sector 4, RK Puram showing improvement in 2 months time
  6. Resolved long-standing sewage block issue in Zamaradpur village, GK
  • Green projects:
  1. Inaugurated energy efficient street lights in Vasant Vihar in July 2014.
  2. Launched ‘Zero Waste’ project with NDMC to convert green waste to bio-sticks fuel at 2 tons per day per unit
  • Technology-based solutions:
  1. Launched a mobile phone app for the safety of women called 'Raksha' (literally meaning 'protection'). The app sends out a distress signal to a select group of contacts in case of emergencies and is programmed to do so with mapping technology, even when the phone is switched off.[15]
  2. In July 2014, she also launched the 'Constituency Connect' app for Delhi citizens who can use it to connect with their local MPs and register their complaints and feedback.[16]
  3. Installed CCTV cameras at Raja Bazaar, Gole Market, initiated by Central Government Employees RWA
  4. Free WiFi service launched at New Delhi railway station benefitting nearly 3 lakh passengers a day and at Connaught place in collaboration with NDMC and Tata.

Speeches in Lok Sabha

  • Spoke for the promotion of e-rickshaws in the city - Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2014. Supported the Bill to regulate e-rickshaws and allow them to ply on the roads as a solution that is good for the environment and for providing much-needed last mile connectivity.
  • Spoke on regularising unauthorised colonies - NCT of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Amendment Bill, 2014. Recommended the abolition of independence era chulha tax, extension of cut off date from December 2012 to June 2014 for inclusion of unauthorised colonies, digitisation of land and property records, endorsed conversion of areas such as Paharganj, Daryaganj and Karol Bagh from leasehold to freehold.
  • Spoke on need for Acid Control laws - Acid (Control) Bill, 2014 introduced as Private Member Bill. Suggested the increase of compensation from Rs. 3 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh, reduction of excise duty on pressure garments, opening of skin banks for the benefit of victims and other patients, inclusion of stories from Indian literature in education sensitising children of persons with disabilities.
  • Spoke on International Day of Persons with Disability and highlighted the need for a para-sports centre in Delhi.
  • Spoke on Delhi Budget 2014-15. Highlighted the fulfillment of the panchnama election promises on safety, housing, employment, clean drinking water and electricity.

Controversies

Massive row erupted over Meenakshi Lekhi's tweet which allegedly revealed Tejpal rape vicitm's name. Dismissing the tweet completely, Meenakshi Lekhi claims that her phone was misused. But, the Congress has renewed its attack, demanding punishment for the BJP leader.[17] In March 2014, Meenakshi created another controversy when she drove a Jeep to file her nominations but without wearing a seat belt.[18][19] In July 2013, over 115 women signed a letter seeking an apology from Ms. Lekhi for her sexist slandering of deceased Ishrat Jahan in a television channel. The letter has also been sent to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women for appropriate action.[20]

Her father-in-law, Late Pran Nath Lekhi, was one of India's leading lawyers, who primarily practised at the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court. Like his son Aman Lekhi, Prem Nath had not joined any political party. However, his attempt in institutionalizing Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the judiciary is widely recognized in legal circles. He is also known for fighting the case of Satwant Singh, the man who had killed Indira Gandhi. Prem Nath Lekhi was the lawyer of Zahira Sheikh in the Best Bakery case, one of the many victims of the 2002 Gujarat violence.

References

  1. ↑ Modi’s Four Favourite Women
  2. ↑ http://www.bjp.org/organisation/office-bearers
  3. ↑ Election Commission of India http://eciresults.ap.nic.in/ConstituencywiseU054.htm?ac=4
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/22/court-opens-delhi-gang-rape-trial-to-press/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
  6. ↑ http://www.stratpost.com/supreme-court-takes-up-women-ex-army-officers-plea
  7. ↑ http://www.thehoot.org/web/home/searchdetail.php?sid=1585&bg=1
  8. ↑ New Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency)#16th Lok Sabha: 2014 General Elections
  9. ↑ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/meenakshi-lekhi-takes-oath-as-ndmc-member/article6133731.ece
  10. ↑ http://www.outlookindia.com/news/article/Rudy-Lekhi-Hari-Nominated-to-Press-Council/858292
  11. ↑ http://164.100.47.134/committee/Committee_Home_Page.aspx
  12. ↑ https://twitter.com/M_Lekhi/status/637230836350218240
  13. ↑ http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/new-delhi-mp-meenakshi-lekhi-named-ndmc-chairperson/
  14. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6ipsZWVeQo&feature=youtu.be
  15. ↑ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bjp-launches-raksha-app-to-aid-women-security/articleshow/32020986.cms
  16. ↑ http://news.oneindia.in/feature/bjp-launches-constituency-connect-an-app-connect-you-your-m-1492234.html
  17. ↑ http://www.timesnow.tv/videoshow/4442801.cms
  18. ↑ http://www.abplive.in/india/2014/03/21/article281284.ece/BJP-candidate-Meenakshi-Lekhi-drives-to-nomination-without-seat-belt
  19. ↑ http://www.delhincr.amarujala.com/news/delhi-news-ncr/nomination-filing-meenakshi-lekhi-without-seat-belt/
  20. ↑ http://kafila.org/2013/07/05/women-condemn-meenakshi-lekhis-sexist-slandering-of-ishrat-jahan/

External links

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