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Express News Service
LUCKNOW: Amidst the introduction of the much-awaited Women Reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) extended their support but under certain conditions.
The bill, tabled in Lok Sabha a day after being cleared by the Modi cabinet, had SP sticking to its stance of a quota for women from Pichhde (Backward class), Dalit (scheduled caste), and Alpsankhyak (Minorities) (PDA) within the quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The SP also demanded that the right to reserve seats for women must rest with the political parties and not with the Election Commission.
While reacting to the central government’s move of pushing the bill in by calling a special session of the Parliament, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh said the Bill must have a balance of gender and social justice.
“It must incorporate a mandatory and defined quota for PDA,” he maintained.
While backing the bill in Lok Sabha, SP’s Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav said being a woman she supports the Bill but it would only meet its real purpose if the woman standing on the lowest rung of society got her due as well.
Raising doubt on the intent of the Modi government, she asked, “Why the BJP-led NDA did not move the Bill earlier? Even if passed by the Lok Sabha, it will not be implemented in the 2024 general elections or any of the five poll-bound assemblies. The BJP only wants to create a perception of sorts by presenting the bill by calling a special session of Parliament,” Dimple said.
However, the SP stood by the same stance that it had in 2010 under the late Mulayam Singh Yadav when the then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre got the Bill cleared in Rajya Sabha and tabled it in the lower house.
Then SP national president Mulayam Singh Yadav spoke against the motion demanding specific quotas for women from the Backward classes and Muslims. At the same time, SP Secretary General Ram Gopal Yadav expressed reservations over the Bill in its present form. He was of the view that the Bill should entitle political parties to decide on the reservation of seats.
On the other hand, BSP president Mayawati also extended her support to the bill expressing the hope that it would be passed this time in the house after discussion.
She added that her party would have welcomed it even more if the women were given 50 percent reservation in the Parliament and the state assemblies.
“The government must think about it. Whatever reservation is given to women, the quota for the women from SC, ST, and OBC communities should be worked out separately. They should not be included in the already existing quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs communities else it will be unfair to these communities,” said Mayawati.
“However, if the bill gets passed without the changes that we are seeking, it will show that the casteist mentality of BJP, Congress, and company as these parties want to keep these communities backward.” “If a separate quota is not assured to the SC, ST, and OBC women, it will be difficult for them to get a chance on general category seats because casteist parties do not want to see them grow.”
The BSP chief also sought the transparent and time-bound implementation of the bill. She also welcomed the commencement of proceedings in the new Parliament House.
LUCKNOW: Amidst the introduction of the much-awaited Women Reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) extended their support but under certain conditions.
The bill, tabled in Lok Sabha a day after being cleared by the Modi cabinet, had SP sticking to its stance of a quota for women from Pichhde (Backward class), Dalit (scheduled caste), and Alpsankhyak (Minorities) (PDA) within the quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
The SP also demanded that the right to reserve seats for women must rest with the political parties and not with the Election Commission.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
While reacting to the central government’s move of pushing the bill in by calling a special session of the Parliament, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh said the Bill must have a balance of gender and social justice.
“It must incorporate a mandatory and defined quota for PDA,” he maintained.
While backing the bill in Lok Sabha, SP’s Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav said being a woman she supports the Bill but it would only meet its real purpose if the woman standing on the lowest rung of society got her due as well.
Raising doubt on the intent of the Modi government, she asked, “Why the BJP-led NDA did not move the Bill earlier? Even if passed by the Lok Sabha, it will not be implemented in the 2024 general elections or any of the five poll-bound assemblies. The BJP only wants to create a perception of sorts by presenting the bill by calling a special session of Parliament,” Dimple said.
However, the SP stood by the same stance that it had in 2010 under the late Mulayam Singh Yadav when the then Congress-led UPA government at the Centre got the Bill cleared in Rajya Sabha and tabled it in the lower house.
Then SP national president Mulayam Singh Yadav spoke against the motion demanding specific quotas for women from the Backward classes and Muslims. At the same time, SP Secretary General Ram Gopal Yadav expressed reservations over the Bill in its present form. He was of the view that the Bill should entitle political parties to decide on the reservation of seats.
On the other hand, BSP president Mayawati also extended her support to the bill expressing the hope that it would be passed this time in the house after discussion.
She added that her party would have welcomed it even more if the women were given 50 percent reservation in the Parliament and the state assemblies.
“The government must think about it. Whatever reservation is given to women, the quota for the women from SC, ST, and OBC communities should be worked out separately. They should not be included in the already existing quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs communities else it will be unfair to these communities,” said Mayawati.
“However, if the bill gets passed without the changes that we are seeking, it will show that the casteist mentality of BJP, Congress, and company as these parties want to keep these communities backward.” “If a separate quota is not assured to the SC, ST, and OBC women, it will be difficult for them to get a chance on general category seats because casteist parties do not want to see them grow.”
The BSP chief also sought the transparent and time-bound implementation of the bill. She also welcomed the commencement of proceedings in the new Parliament House.
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