NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday appealed to the opposition to refrain from politicizing the government’s bills aimed at implementing the women’s reservation law. He cautioned that political parties that had opposed such measures in the past had faced electoral consequences.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Prime Minister Modi intervened in a Lok Sabha debate on three bills, one to amend the women’s quota law and two related to the establishment of a delimitation commission. He emphasized that unified support for these bills would benefit the entire nation rather than serve the political interests of any single party.
The Prime Minister stated, “Since women’s reservation came into discussion, those who opposed this in the past were not forgiven by the women of the country and they ended up badly in the elections that followed.” He urged Members of Parliament to seize the opportunity to empower women by enacting this legislation, describing it as a crucial step in India’s developmental journey that would integrate women more effectively into decision-making processes.
Earlier, the introduction of the Constitutional (131st Amendment) Bill, which seeks to modify the women’s reservation law, followed a robust 40-minute debate. The opposition called for a division of votes on the introduction of the bill, which was ultimately passed with 251 members supporting its introduction and 185 voting against.
Alongside the bill to amend the women’s quota law, two ordinary bills were also presented. These include the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, which are intended to facilitate the implementation of the proposed amended women’s reservation law in the Union Territories of Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Modi reiterated his call for national interest to supersede political considerations, stating, “I have come to appeal to you that do not see this from a political lens, this is a decision in national interest.” He assured that concerns regarding the delimitation process would be addressed, ensuring that no state, from any region of the country, would face injustice.
The proposed legislation aims to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. The process, however, involves the establishment of a delimitation commission to redraw constituency boundaries based on the first census conducted after the law comes into effect, and subsequent delimitation exercises. This mechanism is designed to ensure equitable representation across constituencies once the reservation is implemented.
The introduction of these bills marks a significant legislative effort towards gender parity in political representation. The government has expressed its commitment to fast-tracking the legislative process to ensure the timely implementation of these landmark reforms. The debate highlighted the varied perspectives within the parliament on the timing and implementation modalities of the reservation, underscoring the complexities involved in constitutional amendments and electoral reforms.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
