New Delhi [India], April 18 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National President Nitin Nabin on Saturday convened a meeting via video conferencing with Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states and senior party functionaries to discuss the ongoing political developments surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill.
According to the source, during the meeting, detailed deliberations were held on the opposition's move to block the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.
The party expressed strong concern over what it termed as an obstruction to a landmark reform aimed at enhancing women's representation in legislative bodies.
The BJP leadership has directed Chief Ministers to convene a one-day special session of their respective State Legislative Assemblies. In these sessions, the party has recommended the passage of a "condemnation resolution" against the opposition's stance on the Bill.
The move is aimed at taking the issue to the people and reaffirming the party's commitment to women's empowerment and political participation.
On Friday, the BJP-led government failed to secure the required two-thirds majority to pass the amendment bill. In the Lok Sabha voting, 298 members supported the bill while 230 opposed it.
The One Hundred and Sixth Constitutional Amendment Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), passed in 2023 by Parliament, provides for 33% (one-third) reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla confirmed that the bill did not pass. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Centre would not proceed with the remaining interlinked legislations.
While Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused the opposition of blocking women's reservation, opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, maintained that they support the quota but oppose its linkage with delimitation.
Meanwhile, the BJP and its allies are continuing their street protest against the Congress and the INDIA bloc, alleging that the alliance was anti-women and did not want to see the women of the country go forward.
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