The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre to reply within two weeks to a plea filed by Madhya Pradesh Congress leader Jaya Thakur seeking immediate implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act-2023 so that one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and state assemblies can be reserved for women before the general elections due this year.Senior advocate and former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner Thakur, urged the court to issue an immediate direction to the Centre to ensure that the law can be implemented before the general elections.A two-judge bench of the top court, headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna and also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, asked the Centre to reply to Thakur’s plea within two weeks. Earlier, during the course of the hearing on Monday, advocate Kanu Agrawal, who represented the Union government, told the apex court that the Centre needed some more time to file a comprehensive reply on the issue. After hearing this, the apex court allowed his plea and fixed the matter for further hearing after two weeks. Thakur’s plea before the top court sought the implementation of the bill which will allow one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to be reserved for women before the general elections.Thakur had moved the Supreme Court seeking its direction to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023.Thakur pleaded to the Supreme Court that “If the law is implemented, then it be given effect during the general election.”It maybe recalled that last year on September 29, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bill.
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