New Delhi: In a historic move, the Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the long-pending Women’s Reservation Bill granting 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. A total of 215 MPs voted in favour of the bill.
The Upper House of the Parliament underwent a day-long session discussing the the 128th Constitution Amendment Bill, the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill, with several Opposititon parties demanding to implement the reservation without delimitation and census and some urging to provide sub-quota for the Other Backward Class (OBC).
While the Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed, its implementation still might take some time as it requires a delimitation activity which would take place after the census.
The Bill was moved by Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Rajya Sabha after it received the nod of Lok Sabha with near unanimity on Wednesday.
Terming it as an important Bill and speaking in favour of the motion, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Pathak targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party saying it aims at befooling women as it won’t give reservation to them, but will take reservation from them.
Responding to the Opposition’s criticism to the delimitation and census exercise before implementation of the reservation, BJP national president JP Nadda there is a constitutional procedure.
Nadda also replied to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claim of three OBC secretaries out of total 90 to the Government of India, as he demanded sub-quota in his Wednesday Lok Sabha speech, the BJP MP questioned how many OBC secretaries were there between 2004 and 2014 during Congress dispensation.
On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed the Bill with brute 454 votes with All India Majlis e Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) being the lone opposition voice. The two AIMIM MPs in Lok Sabha Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel voted against the motion.
The Women’s Reservation Bill will now be sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent before it becomes a law.
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