I.N.D.I.A MPs in LS file amendments seeking OBC quota in Women's Reservation Bill

Opposition I.N.D.I.A MPs in Lok Sabha have submitted amendments to the Women’s Reservation Bill seeking quota within quota for OBC women and bringing Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils in its ambit while drafting errors appear to have prompted the government also to bring changes in the Bill to rectify mistakes.

Senior Trinamool MP Sougata Roy has submitted an amendment seeking the inclusion of quota within quota for OBC women.

Roy wants “one-tenth (10 per cent) of the total number of seats reserved for women shall be filled by women belonging to Other Backward Communities (sic)”.

JD(U)’s Alok Kumar Suman wants to move amendments to bring 33 per cent quota in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils in states. He also wants the government to omit the provision that restricts women quota to 15 years.

RSP’s N K Premachandran is another MP who has submitted amendments.

Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal will also move three amendments to the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill, 2023 to rectify drafting errors.

The Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on Tuesday has said that once passed, the law will be the Constitution (128th Amendment) Act.

Once passed the Bill will be the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act. To rectify this, Meghwal will move the amendments.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha floor leader Elamaram Kareem told DH that his party MPs will be moving an amendment in the Upper House arguing for omitting the provision for conducting a census and delimitation exercise before the quota regime is put in place.

Kareem said this would only lead to an “inordinate delay” in the implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women.