On Women's Quota Bill, M Kharge's 'Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar' Jab At JP Nadda
NDTV
"Amendment of this bill is not difficult... you (the government) can do this now but have postponed it till 2031. What does this mean?" Mr Kharge said.
The Rajya Sabha was 'alive with the sound of poetry' Thursday after Congress boss Mallikarjun Kharge quoted Kabir's iconic 'kaal kare so aaj kar' couplet to attack the Bharatiya Janata Party over delays in implementing the women's reservation bill, which sailed through the Lok Sabha last night.
Mr Kharge called on the government to amend the bill and allow 33 per cent of seats in the Lower House and state legislatures to be reserved for women in time for the 2024 election. At present the bill requires a census and a delimitation - neither likely before 2029 - before it comes into effect.
"Amendment of this bill is not difficult... you (the government) can do this now but have postponed it till 2031. What does this mean?" Mr Kharge said, demanding to know "When reservations (for women) can take place for panchayat polls and zilla panchayat polls, why not this also for women?"