Mumbai, Apr 18 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar on Saturday slammed the Opposition and termed the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislative bodies as a “shameful day” for democracy.
The bill to implement reservation for women in legislative bodies in 2029 and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha was defeated on Friday in the Lower House.
In a post on X , Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, said the fight for women’s reservation will not stop here. “Nari Shakti will respond,” she added.
She alleged that the “deliberate stalling” of the bill once again exposed the “anti-women mindset” of the opposition parties.
She further said those who speak of women’s empowerment had themselves “undermined women’s rights” by not supporting the legislation.
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for consensus, Pawar said that rejecting the call (by the Opposition) was not just ego but “an injustice to the women of the country”.
According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to “operationalise” the women’s reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in states and Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority. PTI MR NSK
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