What if govt reserves Wayanad for women: Amit Shah on delimitation concerns

New Delhi: Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the opposition for the unanimous passage of the women's reservation bill and said shortcomings, if any, can be rectified at a later date.

Brushing aside apprehensions of a delay in the bill's implementation, Shah said the next government will conduct the census and the delimitation exercise immediately after the elections and set in motion the process to make reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state Assemblies a reality.

Replying to Rahul Gandhi's accusation that the Modi government is hiding behind delimitation to delay the implementation, Shah quipped what if the government declares the Wayanad seat reserved for women. 

Intervening in the debate on the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, Shah indicated that women's reservation will become a reality after 2029.

He said the passage of the women's reservation bill will mark the start of a new era, and recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had presented the vision of women-led development at the recent G20 Summit.

The Modi government has been pushing for empowerment of women since the day it assumed office, he said.

Women's security, respect and equal participation have been life force of the government, he said.

Shah said this was the fifth attempt to push a bill for women's reservation.

"Why did it fail to clear hurdles earlier? First it was brought by H D Deve Gowda government in 1996. It lapsed. Second time, it was brought by the government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. In 2008, a bill was brought by UPA. It also lapsed after the dissolution of the then Lok Sabha.

"Women have been disappointed by this Parliament on four occasions. This time I request that it be passed with unanimity. Shortcomings, if any, can be set right at a later date," the home minister said.

The constitutional amendment bill, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

According to the bill, it will come into effect after the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies to be carried out after the completion of the next population census.