Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday supported the Women’s Reservation Bill during the debate on the legislation which proposes 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
“On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I stand in support of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023. INC demands that the Bill be implemented with immediate effect but Caste census should also be done and arrangements for reservation of SC, ST and OBC women should be made,”
the Congress parliamentary party chief said.
Sonia Gandhi, on behalf of the party, demanded a sub-quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and also stressed that the bill be implemented immediately.
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In a shift in stance, the Congress party has decided to back the demand for OBC quota within the seats reserved for women, a demand that the INDIA bloc constituents including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) continue to raise.
Initiating the debate on the bill for the Congress in the Lok Sabha during Day 3 of the Special Session of Parliament, Sonia Gandhi said, “Any delay in implementing the women’s reservation bill will be a gross injustice to Indian women. Immediate implementation of the women’s reservation bill by removing all obstacles not only necessary but also possible”.
Crediting her late husband Rajiv Gandhi, Gandhi said the former prime minister had brought in a constitutional amendment to decide women’s representation in local body elections.
“It was defeated in Rajya Sabha by 7 votes. Later, Congress Govt, under the leadership of PM PV Narasimha Rao, passed it in Rajya Sabha. As a result, we have 15 lakh elected women leaders across the country through local bodies. Rajiv Gandhi’s dream is only partially complete. It will complete with the passing of this Bill,” she told the Lok Sabha.
She further added, “Congress party supports this Bill. We are happy regarding the passing of the Bill but we are also concerned. I would like to ask a question. Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities for the last 13 years. Now they are being asked to wait for a few more years. How many years? Is this behaviour with Indian women appropriate?”
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Women’s Reservation Bill
The Women’s Reservation Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the special session of Parliament.
The bill, titled the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, proposes a 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.