With almost unanimous support, the Lok Sabha today approved a bill giving women a one-third seat reservation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The opposition demanded that the measure be implemented right away before the elections of next year and that comparable advantages be extended to Other Backward Classes.
The Lok Sabha passed the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill after a passionate eight-hour debate in which 60 MPs took part, with 454 voting in favour and two against.
The bill’s vote was seen by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
According to Article 368 (2) of the Constitution, which governs the passing of legislation amending the Constitution, the bill was passed with the backing of the majority of the House’s entire membership.
The House also approved a few government-proposed revisions pertaining to the numbering of the Constitution amendment measure. The proposed law would be known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Bill when it is submitted to Rajya Sabha for consideration, according to authorities.
The debate’s tone was set by former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who argued forcefully for the inclusion of OBC women in the proposed rule and said that any delay in implementing the reservation would be a “gross injustice” to women.
Home Minister Amit Shah weighed in on the discussion, dismissing concerns that the proposed law might not be implemented right away. He claimed that the next government would carry out a census and delimitation exercise soon after the elections, starting the process to make women’s reservation a reality.
According to Shah, women’s reservations will actually be implemented after 2029.
The Home Minister responded to criticism from the opposition for not introducing an OBC sub-quota by saying that the BJP has given the group greater representation than others who purport to speak for it.
A total of 85 of the BJP’s MPs, or over 29%, as well as 29 Union Ministers and 365 of its 1,358 MLAs, or more than 27%, are OBCs, according to Shah.
