Oppn parties in UP question Modi govt’s intentions on Women’s Reservation Bill

The main opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh - the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) - have raised concerns over the intentions of the Narendra Modi-led central government regarding the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the country.

SP President Akhilesh Yadav took to social media to voice his skepticism about the Bill’s efficacy.

He referred to it as a “half-baked Bill” and questioned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on its stance in the Lok Sabha.

Yadav emphasised that the Women’s Reservation Bill cannot be implemented without conducting a census and delimitation, which is likely to take several years.

He questioned the necessity of the BJP government misleading the women of the country by proposing the Bill under these circumstances.

‘The BJP government is neither in favor of conducting a census nor a caste census, which are prerequisites for women’s reservation,’ he wrote on his X account.

The SP president further criticized the Bill, stating that it reduces a serious issue like women’s reservation to mere mockery. He expressed confidence that women across the country would respond by voting against the BJP in the upcoming elections.

On the other hand, BSP supremo Mayawati also questioned the central government’s intentions concerning the Women’s Reservation Bill. She highlighted several provisions in the Bill that could take 15-16 years for women to realize the benefits.

Mayawati emphasised that the Bill has been slated for implementation only after completing the census and delimitation, a move she deemed unnecessary.