Women's reservation bill: BJP slams Congress

As the discussion on the women's reservation bill began in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the ruling BJP criticised the Congress, saying the party was trying to play politics on it and wondered why the opposition keeps on claiming that nothing has been done.

The constitutional amendment bill provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The reservation will come into force only after census and delimitation exercise.

Speaking on the bill, BJP member Nishikant Dubey said things work as per the Constitution amid criticism in certain quarters about the bill not being brought earlier.

Reservation for women will happen and "why are you saying that nothing has been done?" Nishikant Dubey said and asserted that the census will take place.

During 2020-21, when the census was scheduled to happen, Nishikant Dubey recalled the coronavirus pandemic had struck and the government had saved lives of crores of people.

"This (women's reservation bill) is not yours (Congress)... It is BJP's bill... you (Congress) are trying to play politics with this bill also," he said.

Participating in the discussion, DMK leader Kanimozhi said, "we want to be respected as equals".

The women's reservation bill, named Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and introduced in the Lower House by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, will come into effect only after a delimitation exercise is completed and is, therefore, unlikely to be in force during the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024.

It was the first bill to be introduced in the new Parliament building.