Congress party will support it: Vikramaditya Singh on Women's Reservation Bill

SHIMLA: With the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament, Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh has said that this has been continuously taken up by successive Congress governments in the past and the party will support the bill and would take it to its logical conclusion.

Vikramaditya Singh told ANI “Definitely in yesterday's cabinet meeting of the central government, they have talked about bringing the Women's Reservation Bill. We welcome it. This issue has been continuously taken up by successive Congress governments in the past. In this context, in 2019 Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to PM Modi. As our national leaders have said when it is brought up again in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the Congress party will support it and help it to reach its logical conclusion. We believe that 'Aadhi Aabadi' should get their full right.”

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.

Introducing the bill in the house the minister said "This bill is in relation to women empowerment. By amending Article 239AA of the Constitution, 33 per cent of seats will be reserved for women in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. Article 330A reservations of seats for SC/ST in the House of People." Arjun Meghwal said that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in Lok Sabha will increase to 181.

Discussion for passing of the Bill in the House will be taken up on Wednesday, September 20. The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21 government sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government is bringing a new Bill to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies and that God has given him the opportunity to take forward the task of women empowerment.

Earlier today, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that demand for the Women Reservation Bill was initiated by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Sonia Gandhi.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury told ANI “We want the Women's Reservation Bill to be brought and passed as soon as possible. The demand for the Women's Reservation Bill was initiated by UPA and our leader Sonia Gandhi. It took so long, but we will be happy if this is introduced." “What about it? It’s ours. Apna hain,” Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said on Tuesday on the Women Reservation Bill. According to sources, the Union Cabinet on Monday cleared the Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve 33 per cent quota in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies in a key meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi

In 2010 Rajya Sabha passed the bill but the bill lapsed as it could not be passed by Lok Sabha.