NEW DELHI: Joining the debate on the women's reservation bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his support for the government's move but lamented that the measure was "incomplete" as it lacks quota for other backward classes.
"There is one aspect that, in my opinion, makes this bill incomplete. I would have liked to see OBC reservation included in this bill," Rahul Gandhi said in his speech.
Addressing concerns raised by opposition parties about the bill's provisions, he asserted that the legislation can be implemented without delay. "Delimitation and census are not required; the bill should be put into effect immediately," the Congress leader said.
Earlier in the day, Congress parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi too called for the immediate implementation of the quota and the inclusion of provisions for OBC women's reservation.
Initiating the debate on the bill from the opposition's side, Sonia highlighted the unfulfilled aspiration of Rajiv Gandhi and expressed that the passage of this bill would realize his vision. Gandhi affirmed the Congress's support for the bill but voiced a concern about the extended waiting period for Indian women to assume political responsibilities, questioning whether such treatment is suitable.
"The Indian National Congress demands the immediate enactment of the bill... and, in addition, the reservation of SC, ST, OBC women should be provided for after conducting a caste census," she asserted.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was introduced for passage in the Lok Sabha by Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday during the first session of the House in the new Parliament building.
(With inputs from agencies)
