Mumbai: Despite the Women’s Reservation Bill being unanimously approved in parliament except two members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism that the Opposition reluctantly supported the Women’s Reservation Bill is wrong and hurtful, said NCP president Sharad Pawar.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, he said that his (Modi’s) statement was hurtful, as no one had opposed that decision.
There were suggestions from some colleagues that if such a broad decision had been taken then there was a demand that along with SCs, STs, OBCs should also get a chance, he noted.
Elaborating on this, he said that the Congress and others had agreed on the Women’s Reservation Bill but the Prime Minister said that no one has done anything in all these years.
In this context, the statement made by the Prime Minister is painful, the NCP supremo explained.
However, Maharashtra was the first state in the country to establish the State Women’s Commission in 1993 during his chief ministership, he said.
Pawar further said, “We have also done the work of giving reservation to women. Maharashtra was the first state to introduce reservation in local bodies after the first women’s policy was announced.”
He clarified that when he was the Defence Minister, 11 per cent seats were reserved for women in all the three branches of armed forces.
He credited the Congress party for its decision to include women in the Air Force.
Talking about export duty on onions, he said that a delegation of onion traders met him some time ago and presented their demands.
He said that 40 per cent export duty has been imposed on onion traders, which has affected the onion trade, and demanded for withdrawal of this duty.
