JD(U) terms women's reservation bill 'jumla'; TMC says a 'sinister' move by govt

New Delhi: 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.

Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the Constitution amendment bill, Narishakti Vandan Adhiniyam-2023, which seeks to reserve 33 per cent seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Speaking on the debate on the bill, 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.

Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of the Trinamool Congress alleged that the Modi government has made a "sinister" move by linking the implementation of the women's reservation bill with the completion of the next population census and delimitation exercise.

She said TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has always been supporting the bill -- since 1996 when the process was first initiated.

Dastidar said the TMC is a party where over 33 per cent MPs have always been women. "Right now, more than 40 per cent of the TMC MPs are women," she said.

She said everyone should show genuine respect to women.

Referring to recent protests by some wrestlers, the TMC leader claimed that the "golden girls" who brought medals for India in sports were in Jantar Mantar protesting against the alleged sexual harassment while the alleged perpetrator was sitting among the lawmakers in Parliament.

Dastidar also alleged that women scientists of IIT Kharagpur and ISRO were not getting their salaries regularly, inviting a sharp reaction from the treasury benches.

Responding to the TMC leader's allegation, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the allegation is misleading as the ISRO scientists were getting regular salaries and pensions.

The prime minister has specially appreciated the exemplary work done by the women scientists of the ISRO, Rijiju said.

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.

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.

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.