Albeit extending support to ‘Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ commonly known as Women Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha which was passed later in the evening, the Opposition parties led by Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, MPs from TMC, Shiv Sena, NCP amongst others hit out the Government terming the Bill a ‘jumla’ and `sham’.
Putting forth several demands to be included in the Bill as also proper representation of the OBC, SC/ST within the 33 percent passed by the lower house, the Opposition members owing allegiance to India bloc too turn to crticise the format of the Bill and the timing which has been brought months before the Lok Sabha polls. Sonia initiated the debate immediately after Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal moved the women’s reservation bill for passage in the Lok Sabha, saying it is a very important bill and urging members to pass it with unanimity and consensus.
Meghwal said the government will consider whatever suggestions come up during the discussion on the bill. He asserted that if Parliament decides, the quota for women can be extended beyond 15 years.
Rahul demanded that the quota be implemented immediately and SC, ST and OBC women also be given reservation following a caste census while Sonia stressed that her husband former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was instrumental in bringing reservation to women in the local units. Reading from a prepared text in Hindi on the bill from the opposition’s side, Sonia said that any delay in bringing the reservation into effect would be “gross injustice” to Indian women.
“On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I demand from the government that the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 be implemented as soon as possible while clearing all roadblocks in its way. Doing this is not only necessary but also possible,” Sonia said.
The 76-year-old Congress leader said it was late Rajiv Gandhi who first made effort for women reservation in the local units which fructified during P V Narashimha Rao’s regime as PM who had the bill to the effect passed. “Today local units have 15 lakh elected women .. Rajiv’s dream half fulfilled will now be complete with this bill..”, she said.
Expressing support, Rahul batted for its immediate implementation and said that the legislation is “incomplete” without provision for quota for OBCs. During his speech he claimed that out of 90 secretaries of the government of India, only three are from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and control only five per cent of the Budget, which he said was an “insult” to the backward classes.
Taking a swipe at the BJP leaders, Rahul said they like to divert the people’s attention away from various issues. “There is, of course, the Adani issue. They always want to take the attention away from it,” he alleged.
In his remarks, Rahul also took a swipe at the government over the events held around the inauguration of and the move to the new Parliament building. “I would like to say this is quite a nice building. Nice peacocks, nice peacock feathers on the ground, nice peacock feathers on the chair. It’s a nice, tasteful building. But frankly, I would have liked to see the President of India in this process,” he said.
Terming the women’s reservation bill a “sham”, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said it should be renamed as “women’s reservation rescheduling bill” and asserted that what was needed was action not the “placebo of legislatively-mandated procrastination”. Participating in the debate on the bill in Lok Sabha, Moitra said women’s reservation is dependent on two totally “indeterminate dates” and asked, “can there be a greater jumla”.
Shiv Sena member Arvind Sawant alleged in Lok Sabha that bringing the women’s reservation bill is a politically motivated move by the Modi Government to hide its “failure” on various fronts like unemployment and price rise. He said if an elected woman member does well and is given a ticket on the same seat again by her party, the reservation would effectively go beyond 33 per cent.
Observing that no tears were shed when women wrestlers were protesting, Sawant said, “This bill is wholly political, has been brought with elections in mind”. Opposition parties NCP and SP too demanded reservation for OBCs in the women’s reservation bill and questioned the reason for calling a special session when the bill cannot be implemented before census and delimitation.
Participating in the debate on women’s reservation bill in the Lok Sabha, NCP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule termed the legislation a “post dated cheque” and demanded the government spells out the date and timeline for its implementation. Samajwadi Party member Dimple Yadav demanded a provision for reservation of women belonging to backward classes, SC/STs and minority community in the bill.