Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has expressed her support for the Women’s Reservation Bill that was tabled by the Centre in Lok Sabha on Tuesday. While she called for the inclusion of reservations for women from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in the bill to to ensure equitable representation, Mayawati said that her party would back the bill even without these specific sub-quotas.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, pending for 27 years, aims to reserve 33 percent of seats for women in Parliament and legislative Assemblies, was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Union Law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
Mayawati suggested that if the government considered allocating 50 percent reservation based on women’s population, it would be welcomed.
“In the context of this Bill, I have stated multiple times in Parliament that our party wants women to receive reservations in Parliament and state Assemblies. Instead of providing 33 percent reservation, if 50 percent reservation is granted to women based on their population, we will also welcome that. The government should consider this. Additionally, I have proposed that if women are granted reservations, those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC categories should also receive reservations. These reservations should not overlap with the existing reservations for SC and ST categories in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas. The reservations granted to SC and ST categories in the Lok Sabha should remain unchanged,” she stated in a statement put out on Twitter.
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She went on to say, “Now, with the 33 percent being granted to women, there should be an arrangement to allocate reservations from within this percentage. Otherwise, it would be unfair to individuals from these categories. If this is not done, women from these categories may not have the opportunity to secure seats in these general categories, as caste-based parties may not support their advancement.”
Mayawati emphasised the importance of providing opportunities to women from marginalised communities and expressed concerns that without these provisions, they might face obstacles in securing seats.
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She further commented, “The architect of the Constitution, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, had provided reservations to people from these sections, as they have been socially, economically, and educationally disadvantaged for centuries, and they still face backwardness. Reservations in government jobs and in politics aim to provide them with dignified lives and uplift them from their disadvantaged position. In this context, our party advocates for women from these categories to receive reservations in the Bill being presented today. If this is not implemented, and if the Bill is passed in its current form, the BSP will understand that the BJP, Congress party, and related parties maintain a casteist mindset and wish to perpetuate the backwardness of these communities.”
“If our demands regarding the Women’s Reservation Bill are not met, our party will still support the Bill presented in Parliament and will take every measure to ensure its passage. This is because women from all communities have lagged behind in comparison to men,” she added.
The BSP chief mentioned that her party welcomed the commencement of the new Parliament. “In this new Parliament building, the Centre has presented the Women’s Reservation Bill. BSP and most other parties will vote in support of the Bill. In this scenario, our party hopes that this Women’s Reservation Bill passes after thorough discussion. This Bill has been pending for a significant duration,” she stated.