New Delhi

Women MPs stand up for women’s quota

— PHOTO: V. V. KRISHNAN

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Women MPs from various parties across the political spectrum on dharna at Parliament House in New Delhi on Thursday.

NEW DELHI: Women parliamentarians from all political parties barring the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal staged a dharna at Parliament House here on Thursday demanding tabling of the much-delayed Women’s Reservation Bill that would ensure 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and the State Assemblies. The MPs carried placards and raised slogans.

The Bill has been hanging fire for the past 11 years as political parties have been unable to arrive at a consensus.

“It is a historic moment for us [women] today as women parliamentarians, cutting across party lines, are present here. We have spoken to the SP and the RJD also, who support reservation though they differ on the nature of reservation. It is important to introduce the Bill first,” said Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat. Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, said her party (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) had always supported 33 per cent reservation for women, and hoped that efforts would be made now to arrive at a consensus and introduce the Bill.

“We have given reservation to women in panchayats and know it has worked. Now women in the State Assemblies and Parliament also should get reservation,” she said. Similar sentiments were expressed by Supriya Sule of the Nationalist Congress Party. She expressed the hope that the political parties would arrive at a consensus soon.

The RJD and the SP want reservation within reservation for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.

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