Congress dropped Women’s Reservation Bill to save its govt: Arjun Ram Meghwal
Sep 24, 2023
Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 24 : Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday said that Congress dropped the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2004 to save its government.
"When the UPA government came in 2004, don't know why but they decided to pass it (Women's Reservation Bill) in Rajya Sabha first...In Lok Sabha, Congress could not gather strength as on one side there was power and on the other side, there was this Bill...The Congress dropped the Bill to save its government," Meghwal said.
The Women's Quota Bill, cleared its final legislative hurdle at the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with 214 members voting in support and none against.
Earlier on Wednesday, the bill was shown the green flag by the Lok Sabha with the brute majority of 454 votes in favour and just 2 against.
The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.
In 1996, under the United Front Government (an alliance of 13 political parties) headed by then Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, the bill was brought but it faced opposition from the alliance parties due to the latter's demand to take into account the OBCs.
Reacting to Ramesh Bidhuri's 'communal' remarks in the Rajya Sabha, the Law Minister said, "Our party sent a notice to him. Would the Congress ever have done this?"
Earlier this week, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's communally insensitive remarks, made during the discussion on Chandrayan-3 Mission in Lok Sabha, were expunged from the proceedings.
Sources said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla took note of Ramesh Bidhuri's remarks and gave him a warning.
The BJP also issued a show cause notice to party MP Ramesh Bidhuri on the instructions of party president JP Nadda for using unparliamentary language against BSP MP Danish Ali, sources said.
Ali has given an ultimatum of leaving the Parliament if the Speaker does not conduct an enquiry into the matter.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan assembly polls are scheduled to be held later this year for which, the parties are putting their shoulders to the wheel, with their focus on the maximum number of seats.
Earlier in 2018, the Congress secured 100 seats, one short of securing an absolute majority. It formed the government in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
