Gowda urges Modi to ensure passage of women's quota bill in LS

JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should take an initiative to ensure passage of long-pending 33 % women’s reservation bill in Parliament.

Addressing the JD(S) women’s rally organised at the Palace Grounds here, Gowda said unlike in the past, there are no hurdles for passing the bill in the Lok Sabha, where the BJP has a clear majority. Even the Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Left, are ready to extend their support to the Constitutional amendment bill that will ensure 33% reservation for women in both Parliament and the state Assemblies, he added.

“I am sure Modi will ensure that the bill is passed by December this year as the Assembly election (Karnataka assembly) is fast nearing,” Gowda stated, adding that Karnataka will have 84 women MLAs once the bill is passed in the Lok Sabha. He said he has recently written to Modi, urging him take necessary steps in this regard.

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy said women are not feeling safe in the state due to the misrule of the state government.

The government is claiming that it has kept all the promises made to people and is releasing advertisements in the media to justify it. But, in reality none of the government’s programme is reaching people, Kumaraswamy charged.

“The government has been claiming that it has spent Rs 80,000 crores on social welfare programmes in the past four years. Every day, many people belonging to the SC, the ST and backward classes are approaching me seeking assistance. I wonder what has happened to such huge amount of money,” the former chief minister stated.

Kumaraswamy, who is his party’s chief ministerial candidate in the next Assembly polls, made use of the forum to announce schemes that he would implement if the JD(S) comes to power.

‘Not against separate flag’
On the controversy over separate flag for Karnataka, Kumaraswamy said his party is not against Kannada flag.

“We already have a Kannada flag. Where is the need for another one?” he asked and suggested that the government should focus on finding solutions to the burning issues in the state.