Sonia Gandhi 'tried to kill MPs in 2012': BJP MP
The debate on the Women's Reservation Bill witnessed a faceoff between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. While she demanded reservation for the Other Backward Class (OBC), Dubey accused her of indulging in politics, claiming the Congress never spoke about it before. He also reminded Gandhi of a 2012 incident in Parliament in which she allegedly "tried to kill" an MP who opposed a reservation bill.
Gandhi attempted to pull SP leader's collar in 2012: Dubey
Gandhi, who is the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, led the debate from her party in the Lower House. In his address, Dubey reminded her of a 2012 incident involving a reservation bill for Schedule Castes (SCs) and Schedule Tribes (STs). He claimed Gandhi attempted to pull the Samajwadi Party's leader, Yashvir Singh, by his collar and "kill" him after he snatched the bill from Congress leader V Narayanasamy. "You tried to kill the MPs", Dubey said, pointing at Gandhi.
Dubey responds to Gandhi's demand
While responding to Gandhi's demand for immediate implementation of the women's quota, Dubey also argued that doing so would go against the Constitution, which states that a census and delimitation must occur first. He also criticized her for not mentioning Sushma Swaraj or Geeta Mukherjee, two women who fought for this reservation, during her speech. Instead, he claimed she took credit for their efforts.
Gandhi demands immediate implementation of women's quota
On the other hand, Gandhi called for the immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill, although she extended her party's support for it. She questioned why Indian women have been waiting for their political responsibilities for 13 years and are now being asked to wait even longer. The bill proposes a 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, which would reportedly only come into effect in 2029, after the completion of the census and delimitation exercise.
Women's Reservation Bill: A long-awaited change
The Women's Reservation Bill has been a topic of discussion in Indian politics for over a decade. It was the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led by the Congress, that introduced the bill in 2010, but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha. If passed this time, it would provide a significant step toward gender equality in political representation. However, its implementation remains uncertain as it awaits the completion of necessary procedures, such as the census and delimitation exercise.
