Mahila bill just an announcement: Mahila Congress

Hyderabad: The Congress did not have the numbers to get the women’s reservation bill passed in 2010. “After the Rajya Sabha cleared the Bill, we were seeking its passage in the Lok Sabha, said All India Mahila Congress president Netta D'souza.

The I.N.D.I.A. group extended its complete support to the bill since 2014. She pointed out that it was Rajiv Gandhi who implemented women reservations at the panchayat level.

“Women had to take to the streets to get the bill passed in the Lok Sabha. The BJP did not bother to pass the bill for 10 years,” she said. “Why has the government made delimitation a prerequisite for implementing the bill? What is the Modi government afraid of?”

Because of the stipulation, the bill can only be passed in 2034, she said and questioned the need for a special session of Parliament for passing it now. “They have cheated women in the new Parliament building,” she added. “The passage of the Mahila bill is just an announcement.”

She said that the atrocities on women had increased. “The PM has been a silent spectator to what is happening in Manipur and other places,” she said. The Mahila Congress will strive to fight for women empowerment.