NI Bureau
Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh has given a new name to the Women’s Reservation Bill, calling it the “Mahila Bewakoof Banao Bill.” On the second day of the Special Parliament Session, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. During his speech, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the importance of discussing a bill related to women’s empowerment in the new Parliament building’s inaugural session. However, there were leaders who expressed dissatisfaction with the bill, including Sanjay Singh of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). On Wednesday, the AAP referred to the government’s Women’s Reservation Bill as the “Mahila Bewakoof Banao” Bill and accused the BJP of bringing yet another empty promise.
“It’s the ‘Mahila Bewakof Banao Bill,’ not the Women’s Reservation Bill,” stated AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in a media statement ahead of the third day of the special Parliament session. He went on to say, “We’ve been saying this because none of the promises they made have been fulfilled since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. This is another empty promise… If you genuinely want to implement the bill, AAP fully supports it, but implement it in 2024. Do you think the women of this country are gullible?” Singh continued, “The BJP, which is anti-women, has presented another empty promise in the guise of this bill. Women in this country, as well as political parties, see through these election tactics. Therefore, we suggest that if your intentions are sincere, implement it in 2024,” added the AAP leader. The Congress has labeled the bill as an election gimmick and a betrayal of the women and girls of the nation.
Sanjay Singh’s remarks came after the introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, in the Lok Sabha as part of the supplementary business list. The Women’s Reservation Bill proposes a 15-year reservation period with a quota for SC and STs within the reserved seats for women. However, some sources suggest that the legislation is unlikely to be implemented in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It is expected to be put into effect after the delimitation process, most likely in 2029. According to the bill, seats reserved for women will be rotated following each delimitation exercise. The government’s rationale for the bill is that women play a substantial role in panchayats and municipal bodies, but their representation in Assemblies and Parliament remains limited. It argues that women bring diverse perspectives and enrich the quality of legislative debates and decision-making.
