CPI's Annie Raja Urges Keralam Assembly Resolution on Women's Reservation Law
The law provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies
New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: Senior CPI leader Annie Raja on Thursday urged Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan to initiate steps for the state Assembly to pass a resolution seeking immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Act passed by Parliament in 2023. The law provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.
Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Raja said the National Federation of Indian Women (NFIW), the women's wing of the CPI, had submitted a memorandum to Satheesan on May 25 during his visit to New Delhi, seeking a resolution by the Keralam Assembly on the issue.
She said the memorandum sought the removal of the two conditions linked to implementation of the law -- census and delimitation -- so that women's reservation could be implemented immediately.
"Satheesan had assured them that necessary steps would be taken promptly, but nothing had happened in the 100 days since," she said.
Raja said the Keralam Assembly had a history of passing similar resolutions and expressed disappointment that the new UDF government had not spoken on the issue even after 100 days have passed since coming to power.
She said the Tamil Nadu Assembly had already passed a resolution on the issue and sent it to the Centre.
"Following Tamil Nadu's lead, we request that at least now, a similar resolution be passed in the state Assembly and sent to the Centre, and that the Congress and the Congress-led UDF government stand with the political empowerment of women," she said.
On CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan's recent remarks that the post of Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Keralam Assembly would not be given to the CPI, Raja said the CPI had a clear position on the issue and the matter was being discussed between the state and central leaderships of the CPI and CPI(M), as well as within the LDF.
She said bringing up the issue publicly was a tactic to divert attention from "real, pressing issues" of the UDF government.
Raja also criticised the state government, saying it had "failed" to live up to people's expectations despite coming to power with a huge majority.
Asked whether public statements by leaders on the Deputy Leader issue indicated a rift within the LDF, Raja said the matter was public and not secret, but needed to be resolved through discussions between the respective party leaderships.
"If the opposition leader made such a statement, as you mentioned, he himself should clarify it. The party's stand is clear: this matter is under the active consideration of the state and central leaderships of both parties, and it will be discussed and resolved at that level," she said.
