Rahul Gandhi backs Women's Reservation Bill; calls it 'incomplete'

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday extended his support to the Women's Reservation Bill adding that the measure was "incomplete" as it lacks quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC).

"The moment the opposition raises the issue of caste census and Adani, the BJP tries to raise a new event so that the OBC community and the people of India look the other way. In my research for the speech, I took a look at the different institutions that define how our country moves forward. There are many-- Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Sabham bureaucracy, the press. And I look with an eye to understand what is the participation of the OBC community in these institutions,” Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha.

"Don't be scared," Rahul Gandhi said as his mention of the caste census drew protests from the Treasury benches in Lok Sabha. "This is a nice, tasteful building but would have liked to see the President in this process. President is a woman, from a tribal community, would've been befitting to have her visible in the transfer to the new Parliament building," he said.

He further said that the Women's Reservation Bill is a big step but I would like to see OBC reservation included in this bill. "It (Women's Reservation Bill) is a big step and I am sure everybody - the treasury benches and the Opposition - in this room agrees that this is a very important step for the women of our country. 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.

Comparing it to the implementation of the Panchayati Raj from 1959 onwards, Gandhi said the bill was another big step to facilitate the transfer of power to women.

"Women have fought for independence and they are as capable as many men. One thing makes this women's reservation bill incomplete, would like to have seen the OBC reservation included. I think it is very important that a large chunk of India's population and women has access to the reservation and that is missing in this bill," he added.

He further mentioned that he was shocked to find out that out of 90 secretaries in the government of India, only three are OBCs. "I was shocked to find out that out of 90 secretaries in govt of India, only three are OBCs. These secretaries only control 5 per cent of the budget. If the country's budget is 44 lakh crore then 2.4 lakh crore controls it," Congress MP said.

This discussion is about the transfer of power to the people of India, women being one group of India and OBC being another group of people of India. This is an insult to the OBC community, he added. He further added that "Only caste census can give the answer to the number of OBC, Dalit and Adivasi in the country. I have a suggestion for the government. Pass the Women's Reservation Bill...Get the caste census done as soon as possible...and if you are not doing it, we will do it."

The Women's Reservation Bill that seeks to provide a 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced in the Lower House on Tuesday in the ongoing special session of Parliament On Tuesday, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. The bill has been named 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam'.

The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to introduce three new articles and one new clause in the Constitution.