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Women’s Reservation Bill could be implemented any time after 2026: Law minister
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said that the Opposition, who failed even to bring the bill during their tenure, was making it an issue unnecessarily
The Women’s Reservation Bill could be implemented any time after 2026 after the population census and delimitation of Parliament and Assembly seats, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Sunday, brushing aside the Opposition’s claims of the government delaying the process.
The minister also said that the Congress had dropped the Bill when it was in power to save its government and added that the Opposition, who failed even to bring the bill during their tenure, was making it an issue unnecessarily.
“The census and the delimitation will play an important factor in deciding the reserved seats as per the terms of the bill. The bill could be implemented any time after 2026. The opposition, who failed even to bring this bill during their tenure, is making it an issue unnecessarily,” Meghwal told reporters in Jaipur.
“When the UPA govt came in 2004, don’t know why but they decided to pass it (Women’s Reservation Bill) in Rajya Sabha first. In Lok Sabha, Congress could not gather strength as on one side there was power and on the other side, there was this bill. The Congress dropped the Bill to save its government,” he said.
Meghwal also said that the BJP had “prioritised women’s representation since the very beginning”. “We will try to increase it in our party organisation as well,” he added.
Noting that the bill was passed with a full majority in Rajya Sabha as well as in Lok Sabha except for two votes, he added: “It is a moment of sheer happiness for all the women out there. It became possible only because of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who always encouraged the women empowerment in India.”
Referring to Modi’s visit to Jaipur on Monday to officially conclude the BJP’s ongoing Parivartan Yatra that covered over 9,000 km across the state, Meghwal said, “It would be a proud moment for us as the women will organise the entire program and will also welcome him by raining flowers.”
Responding to Meghwal’s allegation, Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said, “It was the BJP and their aides who opposed the Women’s Reservation Bill during the UPA tenure. If they wanted to implement it in reality, why don’t they do it now? There is no certain deadline yet.”
