Remove unnecessary caveats and implement women’s reservation Bill now: Congress

Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain demands BJP Govt implement 33% reservation for women in legislatures immediately, without caveats. She alleges BJP's delay of nine years is a "political gimmick" and has no real concern for women. Jain urges BJP to ensure OBC women get representation within 33% reservation. MLA JMH Aassan Maulaana argues delimitation exercise will reduce South Indian States' representation in Parliament.

Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal Jain on Friday demanded that the BJP Government at the Centre remove unnecessary caveats and implement the 33% reservation for women in legislatures immediately.

Addressing journalists in Chennai as part of the party’s national campaign on this issue, Ms. Jain said there was no need to impose the completion of the delimitation process and the Census as caveats for the Bill for women’s reservation, which has been passed by the Parliament, to come into force.

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Contending the BJP Government has brought in many “controversial” legislations with “brute force”, she questioned the delay of nine years for bringing in women’s reservation Bill despite the party enjoying a majority in the Parliament.

She alleged the passing of the legislation without bringing it into force was a “political gimmick” by the BJP to take credit for the decades of hard work put in by the Congress and other parties towards bringing this legislation. She further alleged the BJP had no real concern for women as its conduct over various violence against women in places like Hathras, Unnao, Manipur and Gujarat had shown.

She urged the BJP Government to ensure women from the Other Backward Classes got representation within the 33% reservation. When asked if it would not lead to demand for OBC reservation for the overall number of seats as it has been done for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, she said considering the intersectionality of caste and gender, reservation for OBC women should be ensured first.

Congress MLA JMH Aassan Maulaana said the delimitation exercise will reduce the representation of south Indian States in the parliament. They will be penalised for implementing effective population control measures and achieving better development than their north Indian counterparts, he argued.