Rajya Sabha member Kapil Sibal on Thursday demanded a statement from the prime minister and home minister assuring the House about completing the process of implementing the women's reservation bill by 2029.
"We don't know who will come to power, but they must make a statement that if they don't complete the process by 2029 they will resign as prime minister and home minister," Sibal said during a debate on the women's reservation bill.
Home Minister Amit Shah had on Wednesday indicated that reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies will become a reality after 2029.
During a debate in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday on the 128th Constitution Amendment Bill that seeks to reserve one-third of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women, Sibal said the assurance from the prime minister and home minister will show the genuineness of why they have moved it in 2023.
"I want the prime minister and the home minister to make a statement in this House. We don't know who will come to power, but they must make a statement that if they don't complete the process by 2029 they will resign as prime minister and home minister of this country. We will know the genuineness of why they have moved it in 2023," Sibal said.
The bill requires a delimitation exercise to be undertaken based on census data.
Sibal said there have been about three delimitations that have taken place in this country and it took four years to complete the delimitation process that started in 1972.
"The census of 2001 was done. The census of 2011 was done and there has never been a delay in the census. But the census of 2021 has not been done till date. The reason given was that during that period of time 2019-20 was Covid. The United States, England, and China completed the census even during the course of Covid," he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP said the finance commission allocates resources based on population and if census data is not available then the allocations become skewed.
Delimitation can be done only after census data is available.
Participating in the debate, CPI MP Binoy Viswam supported the women's reservation bill and said, "I request the government to make sure it will be implemented in the 2024 election. Remove all hurdles in the name of census or delimitation."
"Make sure that it would be extended to the Rajya Sabha and all legislative councils. Make sure the rights of OBCs and minorities will be taken care of and they get the rightful share in the present and future lawmaking bodies," he said.
Viswam alleged that the BJP has brought this bill only for electoral gains. "The BJP is the political outfit of RSS. We all know that there is no space for a single woman in the RSS," he claimed.
P Sandosh Kumar of CPI sought to know why the government is linking this bill to census and delimitation. "What is the problem in implementing (it in) the 2024 election?" he posed.
NCP's Vandana Chavan also slammed the government for the delay in the implementation of the bill.
"I would like to ask the government, didn't you do demonetisation overnight? Didn't you declare lockdown almost with immediate effect? Didn't you bring a bill to abrogate Article 370 without any notice on one fine morning? You are indeed a very capable government. Then why are you taking so much time to pass the reservation bill? Why can't the bill be implemented in 2024," Chavan asked.
Alleging that "this government has not been sensitive to women when they needed their protection", she said this bill appears to be intended to appease the women of this country.
"We have not forgotten and will not forget the treatment meted out to our women wrestling champions, the release of convicts in the Bilkis Bano case, the government's silence on Hathras, Unnao and Kathua (raper cases) and inaction in Manipur," the NCP parliamentarian said.
AIADMK member M Thambidurai supported the bill and attacked the UPA government for not passing the bill during their rule. Indian Union Muslim League member Abdul Wahab also supported the bill but "not all heartedly".
BJP member Indu Bala Goswami questioned opposition parties for failing to bring women reservation bill despite their rule of 60 years. The Congress party in Himachal Pradesh has promised Rs 1,500 per month to women but even after nine months after coming to power in the state the money has not been credited, she said.
The BJP's another MP Kanta Kardam raised the issue of crime against women in Rajasthan. She was interrupted by opposition members during her speech.
Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale, BJP member Ramilaben Becharbhai Bara and Independent member Kartikeya Sharma also participated in the debate.
-With PTI Input
