Women’s Reservation Bill: CM accuses BJP of putting obstacles in its implementation

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the BJP of putting obstacles such as delimitation in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill. Alleging that the BJP has displayed its hypocrisy by putting barriers like delimitation, the chief minister said, “This bill was a fraud done to women.”

The bill, named as ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ was passed in the Lok Sabha on September 20 and was cleared by the Rajya Sabha a day later. The bill will grant reservations to women on one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah brushed aside apprehensions of a delay in the implementation of the proposed law and asserted that the next government will conduct a census and delimitation exercise soon after the elections, setting in motion the process to make women’s reservation a reality. Shah indicated that women’s reservation will become a reality after 2029. Addressing a seminar on “Women’s Reservation” organised by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Samata Vidyalaya, Karnataka State Federation of Backward Castes and Karnataka Exploited Communities Federation at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Siddaramaiah doubted the implementation of the bill in the near future.

“The BJP has shown it’s hypocrisy by putting a barrier of delimitation and census for women’s reservation bill fixing its lifespan. The implementation of the bill may not happen anytime soon because of this reason,” Siddaramaiah said.

If the BJP had a sincere concern to give reservation to women, it would not have put up so many obstacles, he said. The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fixed an expiration date of 15 years for the women’s reservation bill. The validity of the bill is 15 years from the date of its enactment. That means now the bill has been implemented. It has only 15 more years to live, the chief minister charged.

According to him, the Centre has put two obstacles -- census and delimitation--, it will take 15 years to overcome these obstacles. Thus, the lifetime of this bill would be expired before its implementation. “The Prime Minister had earlier said in his speech that God had sent him to implement reservation for women, but this is a fraud done to women,” the chief minister charged.

“This reservation for women, which is said to have been implemented by Modi, will not be implemented even in 2024. It will not be implemented in 2029 either. It will not come into effect even in 2034. By then, the purpose of the bill will be over,” Siddaramaiah said. “Don’t falsely believe that women’s reservation has been implemented and give false applause. We still have to continue to fight for women’s reservation and social justice,” he said.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that the women’s reservation bill was drafted by Congress, as it has always been in favour of women’s reservation and social justice. The chief minister also favoured reservation for backward class women in the bill besides enhancing the quota for women up to 50 per cent in place of 33 per cent.