Shashi Tharoor Calls for Clarity on Women's Reservation Bill Ahead of Special Parliamentary Session
Demand for Clarity on Women's Reservation Bill
On Thursday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor emphasized the need for clarity regarding the proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Bill. He pointed out that the opposition has yet to review the bill's draft before the special parliamentary session set to commence on April 16. Tharoor stated, "We have not seen the draft of the bill yet. I am aware that they plan to convene a parliamentary session on April 16. We need to examine the bill and understand what they are proposing. We must assess its implications on federalism, the legislature, and the functioning of Parliament. Will there be around 800 women? Will they have the opportunity to speak? All these issues need to be discussed."
Congress to Discuss Women's Reservation Bill
The Congress party is scheduled to hold a meeting of its Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Delhi on April 10 to deliberate on matters related to the Women's Reservation Bill. This decision comes ahead of the central government's plan to introduce amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Act during the upcoming three-day special session. The proposed amendments aim to separate women's reservation from the pending census and delimitation process using data from the 2011 census. This could potentially increase the Lok Sabha seats from 543 to approximately 816, with around one-third, or about 273 seats, reserved for women.
Potential Delimitation Bill and Ongoing Elections
There is also a possibility of introducing a separate delimitation bill, and both measures will need to be passed as constitutional amendments. While the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will continue, there is currently no provision for reservations for Other Backward Classes, and the direct participation of states will be limited. Meanwhile, Tharoor cast his vote in the Kerala Assembly elections in Thiruvananthapuram, describing the contest primarily as a battle between the LDF and UDF. He remarked that the BJP holds no significance in this context, emphasizing that it is a fight between the ruling LDF government and the challenging UDF. Voting is ongoing in 140 assembly constituencies, where over 2.6 million voters are eligible to determine the fate of 883 candidates. This election is viewed as a crucial contest between the ruling LDF and the opposition UDF, with vote counting scheduled for May 4.