While discussing the Women's Reservation Bill, Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress Parliamentary Party, expressed her support and said that the bill belongs to them. The statement was made when he arrived in Parliament to attend the joint session of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, marking the inaugural session at the newly constructed Parliament building. Official sources have confirmed that in a crucial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, the Women's Reservation Bill (WRB) was passed by the Union Cabinet. This important bill seeks to provide a 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. The body responsible for determining the allocation of reserved seats will be determined by the Parliament.
Sharing her thoughts on the bill, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi commented that the bill should have been introduced earlier. She noted that this was in the BJP's 2014 manifesto, but this is happening after 9.5 years of the Modi government. She expressed hope that this would empower women to do the right thing and hoped the bill would be passed as soon as possible. She also hopes it will be implemented in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with 33% of women elected and participating in the country's development.
MM MP Mahua Maji said they welcome this as they have been asking for this for a long time. She pointed out that since she belongs to a tribal state, she wants the bill to include rights reserved for SC, ST and OBC women. She expressed concern that if this did not happen, upper-class women would receive all the benefits. Meanwhile, in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies, one-third of the seats reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes will also be reserved for women belonging to these groups. It is important to note that this reservation for women will be effective for a period of 15 years from the entry into force of this amended law.
Information about the bill was provided by BRS MLC K Kavitha, who expressed happiness that the Cabinet had approved the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. She hopes the bill will be presented soon. She expressed concern that the nature of the bill was not discussed publicly by the government, highlighting a lack of transparency. She expressed hope that the government will come up with a bill that suits most parties.
She further noted that although the government has a good majority and can pass a bill independently without any support, there are times when parties should rise above their political interests and support women's causes. She called on the government to reach out to all parties and reach a consensus. She emphasized that passing the bill in a positive atmosphere would convey to the country's women that the National Assembly and all political parties respect them and want them to succeed. She expressed her wish for a more transparent and inclusive government. She pledged continued support regardless of the form in which the bill was presented, stating that the BRS would support the Women's Reservation Bill. She also demanded the introduction of a 33% OBC quota bill and hoped that the government would also make efforts to implement this bill.
TMC leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar mentioned that their party and leader Mamata Banerjee have been demanding reservation for women in Parliament for over 20 years. She noted that even without the bill, Mamata Banerjee sent more than 33% women to Parliament.
Congress leader Rajani Patil welcomed the possible passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, stressing that so far these were just rumours. She welcomed the decision and said the bill was the brainchild of Rajeev Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury expressed hope that the Women's Reservation Bill should be introduced and passed as soon as possible. He mentioned that the demand for a Women's Reservation Bill was initiated by the UPA and its leader Sonia Gandhi. He said he would be happy if the bill was introduced. Earlier on Monday, Jairam Ramesh, general secretary in charge of communications of the Congress Party, pointed out that the party has been campaigning for the enactment of the 108th Constitution Amendment Bill, 2008, for a long time.
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.