Historic Women's Reservation Bill Passed In LS: Who Said What?

The women's quota bill ('Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'), granting 33 percent reservation to women in both Parliament and State Assemblies, saw its successful passage in the Lok Sabha today following intense and lengthy debates.

The bill received approval through a voice vote in the new parliament during a five-day special session convened in honor of the 75th year of Indian Independence.

It had the backing of 454 MPs with two opposing votes. The bill is slated for presentation in the Rajya Sabha tomorrow, on day four of the special session.

The 2 MPs Who Voted Against The Bill
While the 454 MPs cutting across the party lines voted in favour of the bill, the two MPs from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) were against the passage of the bill.

The two MPs are Asaduddin Owaisi and Imtiaz Jaleel and they represent Hyderabad and Aurangabad constituencies, respectively. However, it has not come as a surprise as they have been vocal about their stand on the bill.

The lower house saw intense and fierce debate today. Check out who said what in the Lok Sabha on the historic bill:

Rajiv Gandhi's dream is only half fulfilled: Sonia Gandhi
Extending her party's support to the women's reservation bill, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday demanded that the quota be implemented immediately and provision be made for reservation for OBC women. Initiating the debate on the bill from the opposition's side, Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha that any delay in bringing the reservation into effect would be "gross injustice" to Indian women.

"Rajiv Gandhi's dream is only half fulfilled. It will be fulfilled with the passage of this bill. The Congress supports this bill. We will be happy with the passage of this bill but we also have a concern. I want to ask a question. For the last 13 years, Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities, and now they are being asked to wait for a few more years -- two years, four years, six years, eight years," the former Congress chief said. Is such behaviour with Indian women appropriate, she asked.

"It is the demand of the Indian National Congress that the bill be immediately implemented... but, along with that, provision should be made for the reservation of SC, ST, OBC women after conducting a caste census," she said. The government, Gandhi told the House, should take the required steps for this. The bill has proposed that the reservation continue for a period of 15 years and there will be one-third quota for women also within the seats reserved for SC/STs.

"This is the most appropriate moment to acknowledge and thank women for their contribution," Gandhi said. "On behalf of the Indian National Congress, I demand from the government that the Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 be implemented as soon as possible while clearing all roadblocks in its way. Doing this is not only necessary but also possible," Gandhi said.

Gandhi said she stands on behalf of the Indian National Congress to support the 'Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam'. "From smoke-filled kitchens to brightly-lit stadiums, the journey of Indian women has been long. But finally she has reached her destination. She gave birth, ran a household, ran fast among men and with infinite endurance often saw herself losing but won in the end.

"The Indian woman has patience like an ocean in her heart, she never complained about being wronged and never thought only about her own benefits. Like a river she worked for the welfare of all... remained steadfast like the Himalayas in difficult times. It is impossible to estimate a woman's patience, she does not recognise rest and does not even know how to get tired," Gandhi said.

"Woman is the mother of our great country. But she has not only given birth to us, she has also made us intelligent and powerful enough to think for ourselves by nourishing us with her tears, blood and sweat," the Congress leader added. Only by recognising the hard work, dignity and sacrifice of women can we pass the test of humanity, Gandhi said.

"In the fight for independence and the creation of a new India, women have fought shoulder to shoulder with men on every front. She was not buried under the burden of hopes, aspirations, troubles and household chores," she said.

Lauding the contribution of the likes of Sarojini Naidu, Sucheta Kripalani, Aruna Asaf Ali, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur and millions of other women, she said they have always ensured that the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru Sardar Patel, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, and Maulana Azad are realised on the ground.

"The personality of Indira Gandhi ji is a very bright and living example in this regard," she said in a speech that made its political points but also brought in personal, emotive notes. "This is a very poignant moment in my life. It was my life partner Rajiv Gandhi ji who for the first time had brought the constitutional amendment for participation of women in local bodies, but it was defeated in the Rajya Sabha by seven votes.

Later, the Congress government under the leadership of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao got it passed," Gandhi said. Today, as a result of that, there are 15 lakh elected women leaders through local bodies across the country, she added. After the House proceedings began, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Wednesday moved the women's reservation bill for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha, saying it is a step towards women empowerment.

Women's reservation bill is about removing bias, injustice: DMK's Kanimozhi
The women's reservation bill is not about reservation but an "act of removing bias and injustice," DMK leader Kanimozhi said in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday while asserting that women want to be respected as equals. Participating in the discussion on the constitutional amendment bill 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', she said the clause pertaining to 'after delimitation' in the bill should be removed as there could be an inordinate delay in the implementation of the reservation for women.

The 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, as proposed in the bill, will come into effect only after census and the delimitation exercise. "How long should we wait to see this bill implemented? It can be easily implemented in the coming Parliamentary elections. This bill, you should understand, is not a reservation but an act of removing bias and injustice," she said. She stressed that the politics of tokenism must evolve into politics of ideas.

"This bill is called the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'. Stop saluting us. We don't want to be saluted, we don't want to be put on pedestals, we do not want to be worshipped... we want to be respected as equals," she said. Further, Kanimozhi said she has no hesitation in accepting that late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa was a very strong woman.

It's A "post dated cheque": Sule
NCP MP Supriya Sule termed the legislation a "post dated cheque" and demanded the government spells out the date and timeline for its implementation Sule questioned the reason for calling a special session of Parliament to approve the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill -- 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' when it cannot be implemented without a census and delimitation.

She stressed that since the date of census and delimitation is not yet decided, the bill could have as well been introduced in the Winter session of Parliament. "There is drought in the country. Why this special session cannot discuss drought? My question to the government is date of next census... the date of delimitation is indeterminant. So, the (woman) reservation which is dependent on two indeterminant dates, how are we going to get it? There is no date decided for census or for delimitation, what is the date and timeline for this," Sule said.

On BJP fielding Nishikant Dubey as the lead speaker of the debate, Sule said she felt that BJP was taking "anticipatory bail" as Dubey raised the same questions which the opposition had asked yesterday. "Why should we not ask for OBC reservation? It is a golden opportunity... With a big heart let's make a constitutional amendment for SC, ST, OBC in the Special Session. Let's send a message to the nation that we are committed to SC, ST and OBC. What's wrong in that? If they have a different view, BJP must clarify that stand," Sule said in the Lok Sabha.

Catch me if you can: TMC leader dares BJP to raise women's quota to 40 Per Cent
Trinamool Congress member Kakoli Ghosh-Dastidar on Wednesday invoked famous song 'catch me if you can' dedicated to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali to dare the BJP to match the 40 per cent reservation for women already implemented by her party for Lok Sabha elections.

"Catch me if you can, all of the political parties here, catch Mamata Banerjee and AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) and make it 40 per cent and not 33 per cent," she said, while participating in the discussion on the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha.

Ghosh-Dastidar said she was referring to the popular song dedicated to legendary boxer Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali. She was referring to TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee putting up 40 per cent women candidates in the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state during the 2019 general elections.

Ghosh-Dastidar said even in the West Bengal government, Banerjee has allocated important portfolios such as health, law, women's empowerment and industry that were held by women legislators. "We in Trinamool Congress get that much respect for being here (in the Lok Sabha) in great numbers," she said.

The Trinamool leader also quoted poems by Kazi Nazrul Islam and Rabindranath Tagore.

BJP misleading women on reservation bill: Harsimrat Kaur Badal
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP in Lok Sabha, accusing it of misleading women of the country by bringing a reservation bill for them that will take a long time to come into effect

"You can do demonetisation in hours, pass GST, why can't you implement women's reservation bill... in the next election?" she said while participating in the debate on the Constitution amendment bill - Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023.

Badal also targeted the ruling party over its leaders being booked for crimes against women and the remission granted to the 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano case in Gujarat. "In the last five years, there has been a 26 per cent increase in crime against women. That is why an incident like in Manipur happens and the government opens its mouth only when a no-confidence motion is brought.

"A minister from Haryana is accused of sexual assault, but is enjoying cabinet status...," Badal said. "Women wrestlers, who brought so many medals, have been sitting for months but the Bahubali is still sitting here," she said referring to former Wrestling Federation of India president and MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by several women wrestlers.

She also slammed the remission granted to the 11 men convicted for the gang rape of Bilkis Bano and the murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 Gujarat riots. "The rapists of Bilkis Bano were called 'sanskari' (cultured) and were called on the stage and felicitated by their leaders...," she alleged.

"In this House, 306 MPs have criminal cases like rape, murder and kidnapping, 45 per cent are from the ruling party, and they talk about Beti Bachao," she alleged. Badal alleged that the women of the country were being misled by the BJP government as it would take a long time to implement reservation for them under this bill.

"We were wondering why the special session had been called, agenda was not provided... What happened in the Cabinet was also not revealed. What was this shroud of secrecy for? Hopes were built and dashed in 24 hours," she said.

Women's reservation bill incomplete without OBC quota: Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha
Expressing support for the women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday batted for its immediate implementation and said that the legislation is "incomplete" without provision for quota for OBCs.

Gandhi also made a strong pitch for a caste census. He claimed that out of 90 secretaries of the government of India, only three are from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and control only five per cent of the Budget, which he said was an "insult" to the backward classes.

Recalling the discussion on Sengol and the transfer of power from the British, the former Congress chief said the revolutionary answer that the freedom movement leaders gave to the British was that the transfer of power was to the people of India.

"It's been a constant transfer of power, more and more and more power to the people of India on one side and the other side, the counter idea that takes away power from the people of India," Gandhi said.

"This is the fight that is going on. And in fact, in many ways, it is the fight that is taking place today. A huge step forward in the transfer of power to the women of India was Panchayati Raj, where they were given reservation and they were allowed to enter the political system at scale.

"And this (bill) is another step. It's a big step, it's is not a small step," the former Congress president said. "There is one thing in my view that makes this bill incomplete. I would like to have seen the OBC reservation included in this bill," he said.

Gandhi said, "I think it is very important that a large chunk of India's population, a large chunk of India's women should have access to this reservation and that is missing in this bill." He also said that the idea that a new census and delimitation are required to implement the bill seems "strange" to him. This bill can be implemented today by giving 33 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha to India's women, Gandhi said.

"And so I wonder if this is not designed to push the ball forward? To push the ball forward by seven, eight, nine years and then let this thing play out the way it does," he said. Taking a swipe at the BJP leaders, Gandhi said they like to divert the people's attention away from various issues. "There is, of course, the Adani issue. They always want to take the attention away from it," he alleged. In his remarks in the Lower House, Gandhi also took a swipe at the government over the events held around the inauguration of and the move to the new Parliament building.

"I would like to say this is quite a nice building. Nice peacocks, nice peacock feathers on the ground, nice peacock feathers on the chair. It's a nice, tasteful building. But frankly, I would have liked to see the President of India in this process," Gandhi said.

"The President of India is a woman, she represents the tribal community, and it would have been befitting to have her visible in this transfer from one House to another," he said.

Gandhi also alleged that the government likes to distract the attention of the people from the demand for caste census. "For some reason, and I don't quite understand what the reason is. The moment the opposition raises the issue of the caste census, the BJP tries to create a new distraction, a new sudden event, so that the OBC community and the people of India look the other way," he alleged.

Gandhi said he researched to understand what is the participation of the OBC community in various institutions of the country. "Ninety secretaries are responsible for managing the core of the Government of India. And I asked myself the question how many of the 90 people come from the OBC community and I was shocked and shattered by the answer...Only three are from the OBC community and control only five per cent of the Budget," he said.

"This is an insult and shame to the OBC community. So the question arises, how many OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis are there, and the answer to that is through the caste census," he said. Gandhi urged the government to bring the reservation for women into effect immediately, contending that census and delimitation were not required for it.

He also called on the government to change the situation where out of 90 secretaries only three are from the OBC community. "So, I urge you to get a caste census done. Release the data of the caste census we had gotten done and if you don't, we will do it," he said.

Pass women's reservation bill unanimously, shortcomings can be rectified later: Amit Shah
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the opposition for the unanimous passage of the women's reservation bill and said shortcomings, if any, can be rectified at a later date. Brushing aside apprehensions of a delay in the bill's implementation, Shah said the next government will conduct the census and the delimitation exercise immediately after the elections and set in motion the process to make reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies a reality.

Intervening in the debate on the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, Shah indicated that women's reservation will become a reality after 2029. He said the passage of the women's reservation bill will mark the start of a new era, and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented the vision of women-led development at the recent G20 Summit.

The Modi government has been pushing for empowerment of women since the day it assumed office, he said. Women's security, respect and equal participation have been life force of the government, he said. Shah said this was the fifth attempt to push a bill for women's reservation.

"Why did it fail to clear hurdles earlier? First it was brought by H D Deve Gowda government in 1996. It lapsed. Second time, it was brought by the government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2008, a bill was brought by UPA. It also lapsed after the dissolution of the then Lok Sabha.

"Women have been disappointed by this Parliament on four occasions. This time I request that it be passed with unanimity. Shortcomings, if any, can be set right at a later date," the Home Minister said.

Smriti Irani Takes A Dig
Taking a dig at Sonia Gandhi for claiming that the bill was introduced by the UPA government in 2010, Smriti Irani said, "They say success has many fathers and failure none... so, when the bill came, some people called it 'our bill'," Smriti Irani stated.

In response to the opposition's call for implementing women's reservation prior to the 2024 election, Irani questioned, "Do they (the opposition) want us to violate the Constitution?" She further alleged that the Congress was attempting to deceive the nation by proposing a "religion-based quota."

What Janata Dal (United) Say?
The Janata Dal (United) on Wednesday alleged that the women's reservation bill was a panic reaction of the BJP-led central government after the formation of the opposition group INDIA. Participating in a debate on the bill in Lok Sabha, JD(U) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh called the measure a "jumla" of the Narendra Modi government aimed at winning the 2024 parliamentary elections.

"We support the bill. We want to empower all women. But this is nothing but a 'jumla'. This is nothing but a panic reaction (of the ruling dispensation) to the formation of the opposition group INDIA. You are scared of 2024. That is why you have brought this bill," he said.

Singh claimed that had the Narendra Modi government been serious, it would have conducted the caste census, which the opposition parties have been demanding for a long time.

"This government has no intention of empowering women. Their only intention is to capture power," he said. The JD(U) leader said the people of the country know the intention of the ruling dispensation that it was not interested to give reservation to women or to the backward classes.

Samajwadi Party
Samajwadi Party member Dimple Yadav demanded a provision for reservation of women belonging to backward classes, SC/STs and minority community in the bill.

BSP
Bahujan Samaj Party MP Sangeeta Azad said her party wholeheartedly supports the bill as it will empower women and give encouragement them. "Women will feel part of the nation building. We demand the reservation for women to be 50 per cent," she said.

BRS
Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader Nama Nageswara Rao demanded that the bill be enforced immediately after it is passed by Parliament or otherwise the government must declare when the census operation and delimitation exercise will be completed.

According to the bill, it will come into effect after the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies which will be carried out after the completion of the next population census.

Shiv Sena
Bhavana Gawali of the Shiv Sena (Shinde) said her party fully supports the bill as it will benefit all women of the country. She said the women parliamentarians know how much they have to fight all through to reach Parliament.

"We are happy with the 33 per cent reservation in Lok Sabha and state assemblies. In ministries too, there should be 33 per cent seats for women," she said. Sunita Duggal of the BJP termed the women's reservation bill "historic" and said women of the country know that it is only Prime Minister Modi who can give them 33 per cent reservation. She appealed to all MPs cutting across political parties to support the bill.