Following the approval of the ‘Nari Shakti Adhiniyam’ Women’s Reservation Bill by the Union Cabinet on Monday, September 18, Congress leader, and the leader of opposition in Kerala, VD Satheesan, said that the Congress party welcomes this decision.
Satheesan said, ‘At the local body level, Rajiv Gandhi introduced 1/3rd reservation for women, and in 2008, the Congress government tried to make a legislation in this regard, for 1/3rd reservation for women in the parliament as well as the assemblies. But unfortunately, we could not get the bill passed on the floor of the Lok Sabha.’
He added, ‘We passed that bill in the Rajya Sabha, but we did not have a majority in the Lok Sabha to pass the bill.’
Regarding the current bill, he commented, ‘Now, we are welcoming the bill, as we have already made a decision in favour of it. If the Modi government is trying to bring this bill, we will support it.’
The Women’s Reservation Bill seeks a 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the state assemblies.
