BJP lacks commitment on women reservation, alleges Congress

Vijayawada: All India Congress Committee official spokesperson Pankhuri Pathak on Monday alleged that BJP has no commitment in the implementation of women’s reservations in the country. The ruling BJP has passed women’s reservations bill in Parliament for political mileage in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections, she criticised.

Pankhuri Pathak spoke to the media at APCC office, Andhra Ratna Bhavan here. Alleging that the BJP passed the bill keeping an eye on the elections, she questioned why the BJP government has not introduced the bill in nine and half years of NDA rule.

She said Rahul Gandhi personally submitted a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 for implementation of women’s reservations bill.

She alleged the BJP government has not made the public the caste census carried out in 2011-12 during the UPA rule.

Referring to the women’s reservations bill in Parliament, she said the Congress under the leadership of Manmohan Singh introduced the bill in 2010 and it was passed in Rajya Sabha and could not pass in the Lok Sabha.

She said Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had asked the PM Narendra Modi in 2016 for the implementation of women reservations in Parliament and later wrote a letter to him on the same.

Pankhuri Pathak said the Congress welcomes the passing of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament. She demanded the BJP government try to implement the women’s reservations in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and release the caste census made under the UPA rule in 2011.