Centre debates over women’s reservation bill

After a three-year long silence over women’s reservation bill, the centre finally takes note of it. A Senior BJP leader revealed that the party leaders are contemplating over the bill, Economic Times reported.

He said the matter is under debate if they will pass the bill in its original form or they will introduce changes in it. The leader also showed optimism over the fact that the bill may be introduced in the winter session. But he retained that the party is yet to take a final call.

The women's reservation bill is under debate if they will pass the bill in its original form or they will introduce changes in it.

Congress party president Sonia Gandhi wrote to PM Narendra Modi on Friday to introduce the bill taking advantage of BJP’s majority in the house. However, the BJP leaders tout Gandhi’s act as a mere political gimmick. They also said that UPA couldn’t pass the bill in their regime because of differences within the party.

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The Bill, which seeks 33% reservation of seats in the lower house is in conversation for over a decade since its inception in 1996 by the Deve Gowda government. In 2010, Rajya Sabha passed the bill, but Lok Sabha has kept it hanging for all this while. It is a crucial bill as its debate has attracted polarization of political parties whenever it is discussed.

While there is a majority of supporters for the bill, some disagree too. Many ministers from scheduled castes, tribes and OBCs have discouraged the bill. They say that upper caste women will take advantage of their status and occupy seats as opposed to lower caste women. Regional ministers like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav oppose the bill. In fact they demand seats reserved for OBCs and other minorities.

Regional ministers like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav oppose the bill. In fact they demand seats reserved for OBCs and other minorities.

Another BJP leader said that reservation for women exists in local bodies. And it has effectively brought positive change at panchayat level etc.

Earlier in March, DMK member Kanimozhi marched in the capital to set the conversation in motion around the bill.

Picture credit- India resists