Long-Awaited Women's Reservation Bill Inches Closer To Reality: Congress Expresses Support

The Women's Reservation Bill has been awaiting approval in Parliament for a significant period. During the ongoing special session, there are reports that the Union Cabinet is considering increasing opportunities for women, a move that has been welcomed by the Congress. If this bill is eventually passed, it will ensure reserved seats for women in both Parliament and state assemblies. In response to these reports, Jairam Ramesh, the communication in-charge of the Congress party, shared the history of the bill on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) along with a 2018 letter from Rahul Gandhi addressed to the Prime Minister.

In this old letter from Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress leader expressed "unconditional support" from Congress members to facilitate the passage of the women's reservation bill, thereby guaranteeing women their rightful place in politics. This letter has gained renewed attention on the internet.

In the letter, the Congress MP emphasized that the bill had previously received support from the BJP in the Upper House and had been described as "historic and momentous" by the late Union minister Arun Jaitley, who was the leader of the Opposition at that time.

The Women's Reservation Bill was originally drafted by the UPA government in 2008. However, after being approved by the Upper House two years later, it was put on hold. The bill encountered obstacles, including opposition from other political parties and demands for a quota for backward classes within the women's reservation, despite consistent support from both the BJP and the Congress.

Before the start of the parliamentary session, there was much discussion about the government's endorsement of the bill and opposition leaders advocating for women's reservations. The topic was once again brought up on the first day of the special session's proceedings.

During the discussion on the "Parliamentary Journey of 75 Years," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted the significant gender disparity among elected representatives, pointing out that only 14 percent of parliament members are women, and a mere 10 percent of legislative assemblies consist of women representatives.