Rajya Sabha clears women’s reservation bill, here's what the MPs are saying

Rajya Sabha clears women’s reservation bill.

In a significant milestone for gender equality in Indian politics, the Rajya Sabha passed the long-pending Women's Reservation Bill on Thursday. The bill, which grants 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, received resounding support from 215 MPs, signifying a crucial step toward empowering women in the political arena. The debate surrounding the bill saw passionate contributions from MPs across party lines, highlighting both the enthusiasm for its passage and concerns about its implementation.

A total of 27 women members from various political parties engaged in a thoughtful discussion on the bill. While BJP legislators expressed their support for the measure, opposition members called for its immediate implementation.

BJP MP Smriti Irani, lauding the passage of the bill, stated, "Nari Shakti Vandan Act' is a symbol of the Modi government's policy, intention, and dedication for the empowerment of mother power!" She expressed gratitude to the MPs and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their support in this historic moment.

Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi expressed frustration over the prolonged delay in implementing the bill, saying, "For the last 13 years, Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities, and now they are being asked to wait for a few more years—two years, four years, six years, eight years." She emphasized the patience and dedication of Indian women to the nation and called any further delay a grave injustice.

Nationalist Congress Party MP Supriya Sule took issue with derogatory comments made about women by some individuals and pointed out the need for change. She asserted that it was crucial to eliminate such attitudes to support women's empowerment.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra expressed a mix of pride and frustration, questioning the need for counting and drawing lines in the matter of women's reservation. She said "It is both my pride and shame that I stand here in India's Parliament speaking on women's reservation bill...Are we women less than cows that we need to wait while you count and draw lines? We don't need any more Vandanas."

Sangeeta Azad of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) expressed support for the bill but called for an increase in the reservation to 50 percent. She also advocated for extending the reservation to the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishad, in addition to demanding OBC reservation and a caste census.

Harsimrat Badal from the Akali Dal raised concerns about the BJP's handling of crimes against women and pointed out ongoing issues within the party regarding such matters.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal questioned the timing of the bill's introduction, suggesting that political calculations for the 2024 general elections might have played a role in the delay. He stressed the importance of including OBC women in the reservation.

However, the AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi remained the sole voice of opposition to the bill, contending that it would primarily benefit "savarna women" and exclude OBC and Muslim women with limited representation in Parliament.