Congress leader Aradhana at the Pradesh Congress office in Kolkata on Monday.
Credit: DH Photo/Mohammed Safi Shamsi
Aradhana Misra, Congress legislative party leader of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, and spokesperson on Monday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare that a woman will be the next prime minister of the country, as immediate reservation for women couldn’t be availed, despite the passing of the women’s reservation bill.
Demanding that women’s reservation be immediately offered, in Parliament and state assemblies (as mentioned in the new legislation), Misra said that it has been a long wait that should end. When all parties, including the Congress, have offered their consent in the support of the legislation, then why should women wait to avail their right, she said.
Addressing the media at the Pradesh Congress office in Kolkata, the Congress leader said that delimitation and census have no logical link with the women’s reservation issue, and considering the present scenario (strength of seats) the same can be offered in Parliament, and in state assemblies.
Misra said that her party was instrumental in having the first woman Prime Minister, the President, and the Speaker in the country. She questioned that if the BJP was not in favour of immediate implementation of reservation, then what was the reason for the BJP to have brought the bill, when the party is to complete 10 years in power, and the elections are a few months away.
“Let me remind, the BJP manifesto in 2014 had the women’s reservation... In 2019, again, the reservation was in the manifesto… when you knew that (that it won’t be immediately implemented) then why did you bring it?” she asked, adding that this bill was brought to introduce a debate in the run-up to elections.
The Congress, in a statement, has highlighted five points – Introduction of 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions by (the then) Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989, the implementation of 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions by (the then) Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1992, introduction of women’s reservation bill by UPA government under (the then) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2010 with the bill being passed in Rajya Sabha, demand raised by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in 2016 that the bill be passed in Lok Sabha, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi writing to PM Modi in 2018 demanding that the Bill be passed.