Chennai:

Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Saturday asserted the INDIA alliance would fight for the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill passed recently by the Parliament.

Addressing the ruling DMK’s Women’s rights conference, she said Rajiv Gandhi brought the historic 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati raj, the local self-governments which spurred an entirely new phenomenon of women leadership at the grassroots level.

It was a vital stepping stone towards the reservation on a similar one thirds of seats in the legislative bodies which the Congress pioneered in Parliament and outside.

Now the Women’s Reservation Bill has finally been passed due to “our relentless persistence and efforts; of all of us, not just the Congress.” However, “as we all know it is still a long way to come.” She recalled the interventions made in the Parliament by opposition MPs on the actual implementation of the Bill, whether it would be in one year, two or three years.

“We have no idea,” she said and added though some men are happy, “we are not, we women are not.” She asserted “we are going to fight,” for the implementation of Women’s Reservation Act.

The Women’s Reservation Bill introduced by the UPA-II was passed by the Rajya Sabha but a lack of consesus prevented it from being passed in the Lok Sabha.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

London:

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader Kalvakuntla Kavitha said the Women’s Reservation Bill will inspire many women around the world to come forward in public life and called on women across continents to mobilise around the issue.

During an interaction organised by the think tank Bridge India in London on Friday night, the BRS Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) addressed a diaspora audience at Central Hall Westminster near the Houses of Parliament on the topic of ‘Gender Equality in India’s Political Representation’.

The daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, who was virtually mobbed by the cheering diaspora crowds, highlighted the progress made in her own state that is leading the way in the representation of women in politics.

“We are the world’s most populous nation, and we are about 70 crore women; if a very positive change were to happen to the women of our nation, I believe the world should know because that will inspire many, many, many more women to come forward in public life, to become active participants in policy making,” Kavitha told PTI with reference to her London tour.

The Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, received the Parliamentary nod on September 21. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bill on September 28.

“This bill, I’m very confident, will enable that to happen to the women of our nation, India, and India’s progress will see more and more participation of women, that is the hope,” the 45-year-old politician said.

Asked about stronger representation of women within political parties in the country, she admitted that parties have traditionally been slow in addressing the matter satisfactorily.

“I would say India is a much younger democracy, which is 75 years old. There are many democracies across the globe which are 200 years old or more who have still not been able to reach the extent and level of women participation that we have reached today,” she said.

“But that being said, the parties have to take the onus on themselves to make sure more and more women come in. And obviously, it’s not happening, so it is for the Election Commission to step in. It is for more laws to be put in place to protect the places for women,” she noted.

During her charged address that drew applause and cheers from the crowd, Kavitha said it “pained” her to state that inequality in public life is a reality around the world. She traced the journey of the Women’s Reservation Bill that she had been campaigning for and was passed in the Lok Sabha last month – from former prime minister Deve Gowda in 1996 to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023.

“I sincerely thank all of them from the bottom of my heart for making this bill a reality. This is not just politics, but this is the respect these people have shown to the women of this great nation,” she said.

She added, “When I say Women’s Reservation Bill, it is not only to make 181 women members of Parliament, but it is about billions and billions of women. When we talk about women, countries don’t matter, there are no borders.” “Across the globe, I don’t know how men managed to subjugate us for centuries. Now, the time has come that women across continents should connect, and should take up these issues. Today, if India has this bill and some other country does not, I think it is the duty of Indian women to go help our sisters there,” she said.

During some light-hearted moments in her hard-hitting speech, she acknowledged her very “strong opinions” and cautioned men to get used to hearing many more strong opinions from “our sisters”.

She also referenced the Koh-i-Noor diamond, which has a connection to Telangana, given its roots in the Golconda mines. The MLC said while the discussion over the return of the infamous diamond to India will “go on forever”, “at least give us back Vijay Mallya” – referencing the former Kingfisher Airlines chief based in the UK and wanted in India on fraud and money laundering charges.

Earlier on Friday, Kavitha commenced her tour to the UK with a visit to the Ambedkar Museum in north London and spoke of how she drew great inspiration from the principles of the architect of the Indian Constitution in her fight for gender equality.

MLC Kavitha’s itinerary in the UK includes engagements with Indian diaspora groups, discussions on collaborative initiatives and participation in events to foster cultural exchange between the two countries. 

New Delhi:

The Congress will hold press conferences in 21 cities on Monday in which 21 women leaders will “expose the Modi government” on the issue of women’s reservation, the party said.

While MP Rajani Patil will hold a press conference in Ahmedabad, Mahila Congress chief Netta D’Souza will hold a presser in Hyderabad.

Ranjeet Ranjan will hold a press conference in Bhubaneswar, Alka Lamba in Jaipur, Amee Yagnik in Mumbai, Ragini Nayak in Ranchi and Shama Mohamed in Srinagar, among others.

The Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said press conferences will be held in 21 cities by 21 women leaders. “Agenda – to expose the treachery by the Modi government in the name of women’s reservation,” he said in a post on X. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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New Delhi:

Rajya Sabha to Lok Sabha was just a five-minute walk in the old parliament building, and now, instead of a five-minute walk, the (women’s reservation) bill has taken 13 years to reach the Lok Sabha, Brinda Karat, former member of the Rajya Sabha and CPI(M) Politburo member, said today, recalling memories from 2010 when the historic women’s reservation bill passed the upper house.

“Even after having reached the Lok Sabha, it’s not going to benefit women right now. They’ll have to wait another eight years, at least, to get the benefit; and for democracy to get the benefits of this bill. I think that’s unfortunate that we put it through that,” she told NDTV.

“Forces” in several political parties opposed the bill in 2010 and tried to sabotage it even it was introduced in the parliament, Ms Karat said.

It’s going to be a long wait for women because of the caveat of delimitation, or redrawing constituencies, and the next census, she pointed out.

Ms Karat asked what is stopping political parties from fielding women in the upcoming polls — the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana, and also in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

“This is a question which has been raised time and time again. And it is extremely clear that even by giving women seats, it does not mean necessarily that the number of women in the Lok Sabha will increase, there’s no guarantee, there’s no one to one, that you give a woman a seat, and you’re bound to be there in the Lok Sabha, that’s not happening. You can give women good seats, you can give them bad seats,” she said, batting for a ‘legal requirement’, like proportional representation, that many countries have.

A debate (on the bill) has been going on since 1988, when the national perspective plan was put forward, Ms Karat said, and questioned why was the bill delayed when all the questions about the bill have already been answered.

“When the BJP gave an assurance before the 2014 elections that vote for BJP, and we will get the women’s bill? Why was it not brought in 2014? If it had been brought, the 17th Lok Sabha would not have had 14% woman it would have had 33%,” she said, adding that telling women to wait for another eight years (for the bill to be enforced) is “unfair”.

New Delhi:

Pitching for a “strong government with majority”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that’s what made the approval for the long-pending women’s reservation bill possible. It proves that a majority government was required to take the country forward, he said.

Addressing an event organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Mahila Morcha to felicitate him for the passage of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament, he asserted it was no ordinary legislation, but an announcement of a new India’s new democratic commitment.

“It is our privilege that the chance to script history was given to us by crores of Indians. The event (women’s quota bill) will be discussed for generations…Some decisions can change the course of a country’s future. The successful passage of the bill is one such decision,” he said.

Reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was talked about for nearly three decades, he noted, adding that the earlier efforts lacked commitment and women were even insulted.

In a swipe at parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party (SP), fierce critics of the bill in the present form, PM Modi pointed out that political parties that used to tear copies of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament had to support it.

The Constitution amendment bill will soon become law after the president’s assent and the subsequent notification — a procedural formality.

This is a proof of fulfilling “Modi’s guarantee” that he will usher in a new era of women-led development, he said amid loud cheers from the large number of women present at the BJP headquarters.

Citing a number of his government’s schemes and decisions for women’s welfare, PM Modi said it has made every attempt to unshackle them with programmes for their security, respect, and prosperity.

“PM Awas Yojana gave women property rights, Beti Padhao Beti Bachao scheme gave women education, Muslim women are now free from the shackles of Triple Talaq,” he said.

New Delhi:

The Rajya Sabha was ‘alive with the sound of poetry’ Thursday after Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge quoted Kabir’s iconic ‘kaal kare so aaj kar‘ couplet to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party over delays in implementing the women’s reservation bill, which sailed through the Lok Sabha last night.

Mr Kharge called on the government to amend the bill and allow 33 per cent of seats in the Lower House and state legislatures to be reserved for women in time for the 2024 election. At present the bill requires a census and a delimitation – neither likely before 2029 – before it comes into effect.

“Amendment of this bill is not difficult… you (the government) can do this now but have postponed it till 2031. What does this mean?” Mr Kharge said, demanding to know “When reservations (for women) can take place for panchayat polls and zilla panchayat polls, why not this also for women?”

“Do it today… I will tell you Kabir’s poem – ‘kaal kare so aaj kar, aaj kare so ab…’ (Whatever you have to do tomorrow, do it today. Whatever you have to do today, do it now),” he shouted above the ruckus as Rajya Sabha Chairperson Jagdeep Dhankhar grinned and gestured to him to take his seat.

READ | NDTV LIVE COVERAGE: Women’s Reservation Bill In Rajya Sabha

Mr Dhankhar then invited the BJP chief, JP Nadda, to respond.

The Congress leader, though, was not done and continued to press the government to amend the women’s quota bill and ensure its immediate implementation. “This is why you should do this now… do it today, we are ready. It is not illegal… nothing,” Mr Kharge insisted to the Chair.

The ruckus prompted a now-not-grinning Mr Dhankhar to grab his microphone (turn down Mr Nadda’s demands to speak immediately) and call for peace. “Honourable members… we are the Upper House… a house of elders…,” he said, after which he then allowed the BJP MP to speak.

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“I want to make one thing clear… BJP’s intention (regarding delayed implementation of the bill)… it is not to score points or get political advantage. We want to implement this bill for women… but we want to do it the right way… by following the Constitution!” Mr Nadda retorted

The Kharge-Nadda face-off underlines the government-vs-opposition gulf on this bill. 

READ | Women’s Quota Bill Passes Lok Sabha Test, Step Closer To Being Law

The government insists any delay in implementation is to ensure transparency in deciding seats to be reserved for women, and the only way to do this is to hold a census and then allow the delimitation panel to select seats to which parties can only field women candidates.

Responding to the opposition’s fierce attacks in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said, “Delimitation Commission is an important body for poll process in the country. If we are reserving one-third seats… who will do it? If we do it, you (the opposition) will question it…”

READ | Why Delay, Delimitation: Amit Shah On Opposition’s Big Women’s Quota Query

The opposition, however, insists that the provisions are a way to allow the BJP to gain political mileage and votes ahead of elections this year and the next without committing itself to the law.

The opposition has also questioned the timing of this bill, which has been tabled in a special convened five-day session of Parliament called just months before the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

READ | On Women’s Bill, Sonia Gandhi, Kanimozhi Lead Charge, Smriti Irani Replies

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday, “… the idea that you need a new census for this bill and a new delimitation (seems strange). I think this bill can be implemented today.”

READ | “Think Women’s Bill Can Be Implemented Today. I Wonder…”: Rahul Gandhi

“I wonder (if) this (the census and delimitation requirements) is not designed to push it (implementation of the bill) forward by seven or eight years and let it play out the way it does.”

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the Lok Sabha members on Thursday for their wholehearted support for the passage of the women’s reservation bill.

At the beginning of the proceedings of the House, the prime minister said the passage on Wednesday of the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”, which will provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was a golden moment in India’s parliamentary journey.

The bill will energise the country’s women power and they will be able to take more responsibility, he said.

“In this pious work, all of you — all members, all parties and leaders of the parties — have supported. I want to express heartfelt gratitude to all of you and congratulate you,” PM Modi said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)