Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday called the Women’s Reservation Bill ‘ours’ after the Union Cabinet approved the bill that proposes a quota for women in Parliament and state legislatures.
This comment from Sonia Gandhi came on Tuesday when she arrived at Parliament and was questioned about the bill's reintroduction. She responded by stating, “It is ours, apna hai.”
The Union Cabinet, on Monday, gave its nod for the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which will pave the way for reservations of seats in Parliament and state assemblies. According to reports, the bill will be introduced in Lok Sabha by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, on Tuesday, the second day of the ongoing special session of Parliament.
Minister of State Prahlad Singh Patel initially shared the news of the Cabinet's approval on the social media platform X, praising the Modi government for its moral courage in fulfilling the demand for women's reservation. However, this post was later deleted, according to reports.
In response to these claims, the Congress party reaffirmed its longstanding support for the Women's Reservation Bill. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh welcomed the decision of the Union Cabinet while emphasising the importance of consensus-building. Ramesh noted, “This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and consensus could have been built instead of operating under a veil of secrecy.”
Ramesh further mentioned, “The Congress party has for the past nine years been demanding that the Women's Reservation Bill already passed by the Rajya Sabha should now get passed by the Lok Sabha as well.”
It’s been a long-standing demand of the Congress party to implement women’s reservation. We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill. This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and… https://t.co/lVI9RLHVY6
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 18, 2023
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram recalled the bill's passage in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA government and criticised the BJP for previously burying the bill. Chidambaram expressed hope that the bill would be introduced and passed during the ongoing parliamentary session. “In its 10th year, the BJP is resurrecting the Bill that it had buried in the hope that the clamour for the Bill will die,” Chidambaram said.
If the government introduces the Women's Reservation Bill tomorrow, it will be a victory for the Congress and its allies in the UPA government
Remember, it was during the UPA government that the Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 9-3-2010In its 10th year, the BJP is…— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) September 18, 2023
The bill, which proposes a third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies to be reserved for women, was tabled in Rajya Sabha in 2008 during Manmohan Singh-led UPA-I government. The bill was passed in Rajya Sabha in March 2010.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
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