On Wednesday (20 September), BJP MP Nishikant Dubey lambasted the Congress and its alliance partners for trying to claim credit for the Women’s Reservation Bill and demanding its immediate implementation. Retorting to her demands, Dubey launched a scathing attack against Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi for raising “unconstitutional demand”, double-speak, and tainted legacy over the issue.
The BJP MP citing Articles 82, 243d, and 243t, asserted that the demand Sonia Gandhi made was unconstitutional. He noted that Article 82 has frozen delimitation and related activities. He added that Gandhi’s demand to immediately give effect to the Women’s Reservation Bill would be in violation of Article 82.
In that case, it would have been struck down by the Supreme Court, the BJP MP said, adding that it would have amounted to injustice against Women.
Regarding Sonia Gandhi’s demand for an OBC sub-quota within the women’s reservation, Dubey cited the example of Articles 243d and 243t which gave reservations to women in Panchayati Raj and Municipal elections. He noted that these bills were brought by earlier Congress governments and contrary to her present demand, her party didn’t allocate sub-quota for OBC.
He also shredded the argument of providing reservations for Women in Rajya Sabha and Legislative Councils of States. He pointed out that post-independence, there has never been reservation given in Rajya Sabha and State Councils, and even to this date, there is no reservation for Schedule Caste (SCs) and Schedule Tribes (STs) in these houses.
On the issue of the timeline regarding the implementation of the Women’s reservation, Dubey explained the constitutional stand citing Article 82. He explained the chronology noting that once the census is completed, which would be followed by a delimitation process, the Women’s Reservation Bill will come into effect, as per the constitutional scheme of things.
Nishikant Dubey gives befitting reply to Sonia Gandhi on her half-hearted concern for women empowerment. pic.twitter.com/ku7GJ8wWUm
— Political Kida (@PoliticalKida) September 20, 2023
He further explained that the census exercise was hampered and delayed because of the once-in-a-century pandemic and the Modi government has the political will to take every bill, scheme, or project to its logical conclusion.
Going ahead, Dubey accused the Congress party of using the Women’s Reservation Bill as a political tool. He charged Sonia Gandhi with appropriating the credit for the historic bill stating that during her address she deliberately missed out on mentioning two women MPs who fought for this bill – BJP’s Sushma Swaraj and CPI(M)’s Geeta Mukherjee.
Stating that the bill the Congress party had moved earlier was a “wrong bill”, he said, “I want to add that the bill you (Congress government) brought was wrong. Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Geeta Mukherjee and BJP MP Sushma Swaraj fought for this bill.”
Attacking the Congress leader, Nishikant Dubey further highlighted how the Congress ally tore its bill and was subsequently manhandled by Congress.
He reminded the house about the clash that broke out between Congress and its alliance partner Samajwadi Party in the Lok Sabha in 2012. The incident unfolded over a bill for reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes.
He said, “In this same House, when V Narayanasamy was presenting a bill on promotional quota for SCs/STs, Samajwadi Party’s Yashvir Singh snatched the bill from his hand and tore it down. In this same Parliament, Madam Sonia Gandhi ji was the first to come and hold him by his collar.”
He added, “At that time, I told her you are not our dictator, not a queen, you cannot resort to violence. Mulayam Singh himself said the SP MPs would not have survived had the BJP not been there.”
