Godman who conned women: Siddaramaiah hits out at PM Modi

The Karnataka CM pointed out that reservation will kick in after Census and delimitation exercises, and that reservation for women will not happen in 2024, 2029 or 2034.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday said 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will not be a reality for "at least 15 years".

Siddaramaiah mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "a Godman who conned women".

The CM was addressing a seminar on the Women’s Reservation Bill that was passed in the Parliament earlier this week.

"This won't come into effect for at least 15 years. What's the use of this law? It was (BJP's) craze for votes. They've done it for the sake of votes," Siddaramaiah said, adding that women's reservation could have been implemented for Assembly polls scheduled in December or the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"Modi claimed he was sent by God to provide reservation to women. But this Godman has conned women," Siddaramaiah said.

The Karnataka CM pointed out that reservation will kick in after Census and delimitation exercises. "The Census had to be done in 2021. It has to happen in 2031. Then, delimitation. Notification itself will take two years," he said, adding that reservation for women will not happen in 2024, 2029 or 2034.

"If it was up to the Karnataka legislature, we'd have done it ourselves," Siddaramaiah said, further adding, "The problem is that this has to happen in Parliament."

Welcoming the reservation, Siddaramaiah lamented that women have not received representation in proportion to their population in Lok Sabha and state assemblies since 1952.

"Many women seek tickets. But we can't make them candidates even if we want to. That's because they don't have support on the ground. I'm sorry to say this," Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing first-time MLA Nayana Motamma on the dais, Siddaramaiah said: "Your mother (Motamma) was an MLA. So, party workers were used to that. That's why they accepted you. Will party workers agree to a woman candidate in my constituency?"

Siddaramaiah said women have 50 per cent reservation in local bodies. "In Bengaluru, in the last BBMP Council, there were 103 women out of 198 wards. That's more than 50 per cent," he said. "If 50 per cent reservation is given for women (in Lok Sabha and Assemblies), I'll welcome it. You should fight for it," he told women.

Siddaramaiah also scoffed that OBC women have been left out of the law passed by Parliament.