Pass women’s quota bill in ongoing session itself, Kavitha urges Centre

Kavitha hails intro of Women's Reservation Bill; urges Centre to pass it in ongoing session. Kavitha vocally demanded tabling of Bill, went on a day's fast at Jantar Mantar in support. Congress joined chorus for Bill, but not mentioned in Sonia Gandhi's letter. Telangana State Planning Board Vice Chairman suggests Centre to implement from next election.

hyderabad

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and MLC K. Kavitha termed the introduction of the 128th Constitution Amendment Bill to provide for one-third reservation of seats in the Parliament and State Legislatures as victory for gender equality and demanded that the BJP-led government at the Centre pass the Bill in both the Houses in the ongoing special session itself.

In a statement, she said on Tuesday that as an MP from 2014 to 2019, she had vociferously demanded tabling of the Bill and enactment of the law. It was a crucial manifesto promise of the BJP for both 2014 and 2019 elections, she pointed out. In 2014, Telangana Legislature had adopted a unanimous resolution requesting the BJP government at the Centre to pass the Bill, she said.

Earlier this year, I joined hands with opposition parties to galvanise support for the Bill, and in March, I went on a day’s fast at Jantar Mantar in support of the Bill and had convened a roundtable discussion to build consensus among parties on the need for the transformative legislation, Ms. Kavitha recollected.

A few days back, she had made an appeal to all political parties to unite for the Women’s Reservation Bill during the special session of Parliament and her efforts had even prompted the Congress party to join the chorus for the Women’s Reservation Bill, although it was not mentioned in the letter of Congress Parliamentary Party president Sonia Gandhi to the Prime Minister, the BRS leader said.

“I am happy that the Bill is tabled in Lok Sabha. I am hoping that it will be passed in Lok Sabha and would go to Rajya Sabha for taking the nod of the Upper House in the ongoing session itself,” Ms. Kavitha told mediapersons.