'Congress Introduced Women's Reservation Bill In 2010; BJP Never Gave Us Credit': Ruckus Over Mallikarjun Kharge's Remark In Rajya Sabha

LoP in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday accused the ruling BJP of not giving credit to Congress for first introducing the bill on women's reservation.

New Delhi: Congress president and Leader Of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the women from the backward and ST categories don't get big opportunities despite the Narendra Modi government introducing the bill on women's reservation in Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies and making big claims on empowering the women of India. Kharge, while speaking on the Women's Reservation Bill, accused the NDA government of discrediting the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government for introducing the bill for the first time.

"...They don't give us credit but I want to bring to their notice that the Women’s Reservation Bill was already passed in 2010 but it was stopped..." Kharge said. The Congress veteran continued to add, "Literacy rate of women from scheduled caste is less and that's why political parties have a habit of choosing weak women and they won't choose those who're educated and can fight."

#WATCH | " Literacy rate of women from scheduled caste is less and that's why political parties have a habit of choosing weak women and they won't choose those who're educated and can fight", says Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge pic.twitter.com/QTD2Y4vftl — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2023

However, Kharge's remarks sparked controversy in Rajya Sabha, prompting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to object. Sitharaman emphasized that such sweeping statements about the effectiveness of women candidates were unacceptable. "We respect the leader of the opposition but to make a sweeping statement that all parties choose women who are not effective is absolutely unacceptable. We all have been empowered by our party, President Draupadi Murmu is an empowered woman..." the FM said while objecting to his statement. 

#WATCH | On Mallikarjun Kharge's statement, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman says, "We respect the leader of the opposition but to make a sweeping statement that all parties choose women who are not effective is absolutely unacceptable. We all have been empowered by our… pic.twitter.com/AFFibLyovo — ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2023

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the new Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha of the new Parliament building. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal introduced the bill in the first sitting of Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building. Arjun Ram Meghwal said that once the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is passed, the number of seats for women in Lok Sabha will increase to 181.

Discussion for passing of the Bill in the House will be taken up on Wednesday, September 20. The Bill will be taken up in Rajya Sabha on September 21 government sources said. 

Earlier in his address in the Lok Sabha in the new Parliament building, PM Modi said that The 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' will ensure more women become members of Parliament and the state legislative assemblies.  "Discussion on Women's Reservation Bill happened for a long time. During Atal Bihari Vajpayee's regime Women's Reservation Bill was introduced several times but there was not enough majority to pass the Bill, and because of this this dream remained incomplete. Today, God has given me the opportunity to take this forward...Our government is bringing a new Bill today on Women's participation in both Houses..." PM Modi said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech, said that God has given him the opportunity to take forward the task of women empowerment. Making his first speech in the new building of Parliament, the Prime Minister said the government has decided to bring Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.

He said the Bill would strengthen democracy and appealed to members to pass it unanimously. The Women Reservation Bill that seeks to guarantee 33 per quota for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was introduced as the 128th Constitutional Amendment Bill by the Union law minister.

This was the first agenda of the day taken up by the Lower House in the new Parliament building. The five-day special session of the Parliament began on Monday.  Women’s Reservation Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha in 2010 and it was not taken up in Lok Sabha and lapsed in the lower House of Parliament.