Rahul Gandhi expresses '100% regret' for Congress' failure on Women's Reservation Bill and OBC quota
Women's Reservation Bill: Rahul Gandhi, in a candid admission, expressed "100 per cent regret" for the Congress party's failure to pass the women's reservation bill during its time in power. He acknowledged that had the party accepted the demand for a quota for women from OBC (Other Backward Classes) communities – a demand it had rejected in 2010 but is now advocating for – the landmark legislation might have become law a decade ago.
"100 per cent... (we have) 100 per cent regret," Gandhi stated, while also criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for potentially causing a further delay of six years or more before the new bill comes into effect.
#WATCH | Women's Reservation Bill | Congress MP Rahul Gandhi says, "The problem is the implementation. What they have said is - we are placing a Bill on the Floor of the House but we will implement it 10 years from now. What does that mean?...We agree with the Bill, remove these… pic.twitter.com/3ucnBLXuoA — ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2023
The call for a sub-quota for OBC women within the larger reservation was initially made by the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in 2010, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had introduced its version of the bill. However, the Congress had rejected this demand at the time, leading to the withdrawal of support from the SP and RJD. Consequently, the bill, which had already been passed in the Rajya Sabha, never reached the Lok Sabha.
The Congress has been critical of the BJP's version of the bill, which includes provisions for a census and delimitation (redrawing of constituency boundaries) before implementation. This could potentially delay the bill's enactment until the 2029 elections or even as late as 2034.
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The opposition has united to condemn the government for this delay, demanding the removal of the census and delimitation provisions and immediate implementation of the quota.
In response, the BJP has argued that these provisions are necessary for ensuring "transparency" in deciding which seats will be reserved.
Rahul Gandhi pointed out, "What this (the census and delimitation provisions) means is this bill won't be implemented now... it won't be implemented today, and this is something every woman in India should understand."
"If it is implemented at all, it will be ten years from now," Gandhi added.
Furthermore, Mr. Gandhi criticized the BJP for using the women's reservation bill as a "diversionary tactic" to shift focus away from the demand for a caste census. He emphasized the importance of a caste census for gaining a better understanding of India's diverse population, consisting of various castes and communities.
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- With inputs from agencies
