BJP slams Sonia Gandhi for taking credit for Women's Reservation Bill, says should rise above party politics

The BJP on Wednesday slammed the Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for taking credit for the Women’s Reservation Bill, saying that in her opening remarks on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi didn’t mention the women at the forefront to raise their voice for the Bill - Bengal’s Geeta Mukherjee and BJP’s Sushma Swaraj - and asked her to rise above politics as she was the voice of the Opposition.         Addressing the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said, “When Sonia Gandhi was speaking, I thought she will speak rising above politics because she is the voice of opposition. The women who were at the forefront to raise their voice for this Bill, she was Bengal’s Geeta Mukherjee and BJP’s Sushma Swaraj. Had they not been there, we would not be seeing this reservation. But, Sonia Gandhi didn’t mention either of them. What kind of politics is this? She wants to take the credit for the Bill, but this is not their Bill."

VIDEO | "When Sonia Gandhi was speaking, I thought she will speak rising above politics because she is the voice of opposition. The women who were at the forefront to raise their voice for this Bill, she was Bengal's Geeta Mukherjee and BJP's Sushma Swaraj. Had they not been… pic.twitter.com/ht1kzRX5Bn

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 20, 2023

He said that introduction of the Bill by PM Modi and the BJP is bothering the Opposition. “Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and our party (BJP) brought this (Women’s Reservation) bill, and this is bothering the opposition,” said the BJP MP. He added, “The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has repeatedly said that ‘Yahi Samay Hai, Sahi Samay Hai’ (this is the time, this is the right time), and this (Women’s Reservation) Bill has been brought at the right time."   Extended her party’s support for the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, Sonia Gandhi said, “I stand here in support of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.” “This is an emotional moment of my own life as well. For the first time, Constitutional amendment to decide women’s representation in local body election was brought by my life partner Rajiv Gandhi. It was defeated in Rajya Sabha by seven votes. Later, Congress government, under the leadership of PM PV Narasimha Rao, passed it in Rajya Sabha. As a result, we have 15 lakh elected women leaders across the country through local bodies. Rajiv Gandhi’s dream is only partially complete. It will complete with the passing of this Bill,” she added. She also demanded its immediate implementation along with the provision for the representation of SCs, STs and OBCs. She said any delay in implementing Women’s Reservation Bill will be gross injustice to Indian women. “The immediate implementation of the women’s reservation bill by removing all obstacles not only necessary but also possible,” Gandhi said.

On Tuesday, the NDA government introduced the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, reserving 33 per cent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

The Manmohan Singh-led UPA government introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2008, which it passed in 2010. However, the Bill never reached the Lok Sabha for consideration. The Bill was also one of the key poll promises the BJP had made in the run-up to both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged members of both houses of Parliament to pass the bill unanimously, asserting that it would further strengthen Indian democracy. “The Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam will further strengthen our democracy. I congratulate mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation for Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam. I assure all mothers, sisters and daughters of the nation that we are committed to making this bill into a law,” PM Modi said. With inputs from agencies