"Great, revolutionary decision": Union Minister Athawale on Women's Reservation Bill

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], April 12 : Union Minister Ramdas Athawale hailed the Women's Reservation Bill as a "revolutionary decision" by the Centre, asserting that it would ensure greater political representation and justice for women across the country.

Speaking to reporters here, Athawale said the bill seeks to reserve one-third of seats in Parliament for women and would significantly expand the strength of the Lok Sabha. He added that the move aligns with the long-standing vision of social reformers and aims to provide inclusive representation across communities.

"A bill has been passed to give women in our country one-third of the seats, which is 33%. Narendra Modi's government has made a great, revolutionary decision. A special session of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha has been scheduled for the 16th, 17th, and 18th. A bill will be introduced to increase the number of seats for women to 273. The current 543 seats in Parliament will be increased by 273, bringing the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 816," Athawale said.

He further stated that women from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes would also benefit from the reservation. "Women from SC and ST communities will also have one-third reservation within the 273 seats. This bill will give women more power and provide them with social, economic, and political justice," he added.

Invoking BR Ambedkar, Athawale said the move fulfils his vision. "Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted justice for women of all castes and religions. My party fully supports this bill," he said.

His remarks come ahead of the Centre's plan to introduce amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act during the upcoming three-day special Parliament session scheduled to begin from April 16.

Athawale further expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in multiple states amid the ongoing Assembly elections in five states and Union Territories. "BJP government will come in West Bengal. People are angry with Mamata Banerjee... This time, a BJP government will be formed. A BJP government will also be formed in Assam, and the people of Kerala also want change," he said.

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