Bengaluru, April 16 Referring to the Centre’s efforts to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies by implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament, the Karnataka BJP has stated that it is a day to be written in golden letters.
Speaking to the media at the BJP state office “Jagannath Bhavan” in Bengaluru on Thursday, senior BJP leader and MLC Bharathi Shetty said the move by the Union government towards implementation of women’s reservation has brought great joy, and “this day should be recorded in golden letters.”
She noted that women, who constitute nearly 50 per cent of India’s 140 crore population, had been waiting for this for many years.
She recalled that the reservation for women in local bodies was first introduced in 1992, and that the Women’s Reservation Bill for the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies was first introduced in 1996. Efforts to pass the legislation continued from then until 2023.
She pointed out that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had attempted to introduce the bill four times, but it could not be passed due to opposition parties' lack of support.
She also said there had been expectations that the bill would be approved during Sonia Gandhi's tenure as UPA leader.
Referring to past struggles, Shetty said a major movement had emerged in support of the bill, with more than 1,000 people from Karnataka participating. Although the UPA government introduced the bill in Parliament, it did not receive approval, she added.
Shetty credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the bill finally receiving approval, calling it a moment of immense happiness. She described it as justice delivered after 19 years of waiting.
She further said that women’s administrative empowerment has significantly advanced under PM Modi’s leadership, citing initiatives such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao and Lakhpati schemes, as well as opportunities for women in the defence sector.
She also appreciated former Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa for implementing 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies, and extended her congratulations.
Expressing hope for further positive decisions in Parliament, Shetty said that women across party lines should benefit from such opportunities, setting aside political differences.
On Thursday, Parliament began a special three-day session in which the government introduced amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, aiming to accelerate the implementation of the 33 per cent women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
The move includes increasing the total number of seats and linking reservations to a new delimitation process. Opposition parties opposing the move questioned the linkage of the women’s quota with the delimitation process.
--IANS
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