Parties squabble over women’s quota bill but extend support

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NEW DELHI : The historic women’s reservation bill was presented in Parliament on Tuesday, with both the government and opposition Congress party jostling for credit. The bill, with a sub-quota for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, was the first to be introduced in the new Parliament building, 13 years after the first attempt to pass it. Despite their criticism about the lack of a clear timeline to implement the law, all opposition parties are expected to support it.

The bill provides for one-third reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha in all state assemblies and the assembly of the Union Territory of Delhi. The seats will be reserved through rotation. Lok Sabha functionaries said the bill is likely to be passed by the Lower House on Wednesday and the Upper House on Friday.

The bill does not set any timeline for its implementation, stating it will take effect after taking into account the next census and a delimitation exercise - a point that drew the ire of the opposition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the legislation, tabled by law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, adding his government is committed to increasing the participation of women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Appealing to all MPs to support the bill, Modi said, “For years, there have been several debates and controversies around women’s reservation.

Earlier, too, there have been many efforts to bring the bill to Parliament. But it was in 1996 when the first women reservation bill was introduced during the tenure of (late PM) Atal Bihari Vajpayee." “In the past, several attempts were made to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, but not enough numbers could be mustered, and the dream remained unfulfilled," Modi said. “God has chosen me to