Newly elected Rajya Sabha MP (the only congress MP from Himachal) , Mr. Anurag Sharma, has described the reported defeat of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha as a “warning bell” for the Modi government, citing it as an indication of narrowing political margins in the House.
Addressing the media, Sharma stated that the slim numerical difference of about 10 MPs between the ruling party and the Opposition highlights a fragile balance that could shift at any time.
He further pointed out that the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been passed by Parliament in 2023, with its implementation proposed for 2029. According to Sharma, if the government intended to advance its implementation to 2027, it could have reintroduced the original 2023 legislation, which had received unanimous support from Opposition parties, including the Congress.
Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Sharma said that he had urged the government to present the original version of the bill. However, Sharma alleged that the government attempted to introduce a modified version aligned with its own agenda under the pretext of women’s reservation—an effort he claimed has now been rejected.
Highlighting the Congress party’s historical stance, Sharma recalled that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had pioneered reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. He said this reflected the party’s long-standing commitment to extending similar provisions to Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies.
Sharma also questioned the rationale behind introducing the bill in Parliament without assured majority support, arguing that it led to unnecessary expenditure of public funds running into crores of rupees.
Loading ...
