New Delhi: As the government on Tuesday tabled the Women’s Reservation Bill which has rechristened as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 from its earlier nomenclature Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2008, the Opposition parties took its turn to corner the centre over the legislation by dubbing it a new election jumla of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
However, some leaders from the INDIA bloc have come out in support of the Bill by terming it a ‘revolutionary’ step.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party has always supported the Women’s Reservation Bill.
“In 2010, the Congress-UPA government got the women’s reservation Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha. Just as SC-ST class has got a constitutional opportunity in politics, similarly everyone including women of OBC class should get equal opportunity through this Bill,” Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
“There is a need to look carefully at the Bill that the Modi government has brought today. In the current draft of the Bill, it is written that it will be implemented only after decadal census and delimitation. This means, Modi government has probably closed the doors of women’s reservation till 2029. BJP should clarify on this,” he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah slammed the Opposition, particularly the Congress, for showing only “tokenism” on the Bill and said the party has never been serious about women’s reservation in legislative bodies.
Hitting out at the Centre, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “This Bill was definitely introduced today, but the women of our country do not seem to be getting its benefits soon, which means that PM Modi has thrown another phrase before the elections.”
“In a season of election jumlas, this one is the biggest of them all! A huge betrayal of the hopes of crores of Indian women and girls,” Ramesh further said, adding that as we had pointed out earlier, Modi government has not yet conducted the 2021 decadal census making India the only country in G20 that has failed to carry out the Census.
“Now it says that the reservation for women will come into effect only following the first decadal Census conducted after the women’s reservation Bill has become an Act. When will this census take place?” he asked.
“The Bill also says that the reservation comes into effect only after the publication of the next Census and the subsequent delimitation exercise thereafter. Will the Census and delimitation be done before the 2024 elections?” the Congress leader further quipped.
In addition to Congress, AAP leader Atishi said that this Bill is a Bill to fool women as it’s not yet clear whether women are going to get reservations in the 2024 poll or not. If reservations are not going to be given in 2024, then it’s just an attempt to befool women.
The AAP leader also questioned the intention behind adding a census and delimitation clauses in the Bill and alleged that the BJP is not interested in the wellbeing and welfare of women. “A closer reading of the provisions of the Bill shows that it is ‘Mahila Bewakoof Banao’ Bill,” she said.
Meanwhile, voicing his objection to the proposed legislation, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that there was a “major flaw” in the Bill as it did not provide quota for Muslim women.
Calling it a great step, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti said, “I’m happy to see that finally the women reservation Bill will become a reality. Despite constituting half of the population, we are grossly underrepresented. It’s a great step.”
Commenting on the Bill, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, “We are not against the Bill and have no objection if it is implemented. We have never been against the women reservation as we had implemented it in panchayats and other places.”
Former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi said that the women’s reservation Bill brought by the Modi government should have provided separate quotas for those belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs.
She further said that “quota within quotas” was essential for the weaker sections of society as it is only their first generation of women which is becoming educated and aware.”
The RJD leader also alleged that the Bill was a “gimmick, aimed at just making some noise” as its implementation was proposed only after a fresh round of delimitation.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the reservation for women should be a balance of gender justice and social justice. However, he has demanded a clarity on the share of backward, Dalit, minority and tribals in the seats set aside.
Ex-law minister Kapil Sibal alleged that the Bill was “yet another dream” being sold by Prime Minister Modi for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and claimed that its benefits would accrue to women only in 2029.
RJD spokesperson and MP Manoj Jha noted that the Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad Yadav has long sought “quota within quota” for the SCs, STs and OBCs in reserved seats for women. Without this, this serves no purpose, he said.
He said it is not clear if the women quota under the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam will come into force from 2029 or 2034 Lok Sabha polls, wondering if the government is serious or committing a “fraud”. It’s a “post-dated commitment” by a government which has lost its credibility, Jha alleged.
While welcoming the Bill, JD(U) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said it should provide for reservation for women from backward classes and called for early completion of the census exercise.
The JD(U) sought to take credit for the Bill with party spokesperson Rajib Ranjan, saying Kumar has always supported the idea of 33 per cent reservation for women.