Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday quoted Kabir’s iconic ‘kaal kare so aaj kar’ couplet in the Rajya Sabha to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over delays in implementing the women’s reservation bill, which sailed through the Lok Sabha on Wednesday night.

Kharge called on the government to amend the bill and allow 33 per cent of seats in the Lower House and state legislatures to be reserved for women in time for the 2024 election. At present the bill requires a census and a delimitation – neither likely before 2029 – before it comes into effect.

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“Amendment of this bill is not difficult… you (the government) can do this now but have postponed it till 2031. What does this mean?” Kharge said, demanding to know “When reservations (for women) can take place for panchayat polls and zilla panchayat polls, why not this also for women?”

“Do it today… I will tell you Kabir’s poem – ‘kaal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab…’ (Whatever you have to do tomorrow, do it today. Whatever you have to do today, do it now),” he shouted amid the ruckus as Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar grinned and gestured to him to take his seat.

Dhankhar then invited the BJP chief, JP Nadda, to respond.

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The Congress leader, though, was not done and continued to press the government to amend the women’s quota bill and ensure its immediate implementation. “This is why you should do this now… do it today, we are ready. It is not illegal…,” Kharge insisted to the Chair.

Then JP Nadda rose to address the Rajya Sabha. “I want to make one thing clear… BJP’s intention (regarding delayed implementation of the bill)… it is not to score points or get political advantage. We want to implement this bill for women… but we want to do it the right way… by following the Constitution!” Nadda retorted.

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The government insists any delay in implementation is to ensure transparency in deciding seats to be reserved for women, and the only way to do this is to hold a census and then allow the delimitation panel to select seats to which parties can only field women candidates.