Women’s Reservation Bill: Sonia Gandhi affirms ownership as Congress advocates recognition
New Delhi, September 19: In a historic moment as both houses of Parliament convened their first session in the newly inaugurated Parliament building, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi expressed her enthusiastic support for the Women's Reservation Bill, declaring, "What about it? It's ours. Apna hain," in response to media queries.
On Monday, the Union Cabinet cleared the Women's Reservation Bill, a significant step aimed at reserving 33 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women.
Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury emphasized the party's eagerness for the swift passage of the Women's Reservation Bill, saying, "We want the Women's Reservation Bill to be brought and passed as soon as possible. The demand for the Women's Reservation Bill was initiated by UPA and our leader Sonia Gandhi. It took so long, but we will be happy if this is introduced."
Earlier on Monday, Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, reiterated the party's long-standing demand for the implementation of the Constitution 108th Amendment Bill, 2008, which aims to provide women with a more significant role in politics.
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"The Congress party has been demanding the implementation of women's reservation for a long time. We welcome the Union Cabinet decision reportedly coming forward and look forward to the details of the Bill," he remarked in a statement.
Ramesh also suggested that this important matter could have been thoroughly discussed during the all-party meeting preceding the special session, fostering a consensus rather than resorting to behind-the-scenes politics.
As per the bill's provisions, the allocation of reserved seats will be determined by the authority prescribed by Parliament. One-third of the total seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and legislative assemblies will be earmarked for women of these communities. This reservation for women will cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of the Amendment Act.
It's worth noting that while the Rajya Sabha passed the bill in 2010, it lapsed in the Lok Sabha, as it couldn't secure passage at that time. However, Sonia Gandhi's resounding support for the Women's Reservation Bill signifies a renewed push for its implementation and a significant step toward gender parity in India's political landscape.
- With inputs from agencies
