PNS|Hyderabad
BRS MLC Kavitha stressed the pressing need for women’s reservation in legislative bodies and cast doubt on the stance of the opposition on the issue.
Kavitha said she is planning a protest in New Delhi in December on the issue and that she would try to get the support of women leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Smriti Irani.
She said that Dr Ambedkar had advocated women’s representation in legislatures but no party has addressed this concern.
She drew attention to the fact that women currently constitute only 12 per cent of Parliament representing only a marginal increase from the eight per cent during the first Lok Sabha.
She reminded that the number of female representatives in TS local bodies witnessed a substantial rise only after the BRS government introduced legislation in the Assembly.
Responding to the criticism of the BJP and the Congress regarding the minimal number of BRS lady candidates for the Assembly elections, Kavitha demanded an answer to why the Women’s Reservation Bill approved by the Rajya Sabha in 2010 has not received approval in the Lok Sabha even in 2023.
She asked why the Modi government which has an absolute majority has not passed the Bill.
Criticising the Congress and the BJP, she said that Nehru’s Cabinet had only one lady minister and Modi’s Cabinet only two.
She said that the BJP-ruled UP has not yet enacted legislation concerning women’s reservations and that in BJP-ruled Haryana a law stipulating a minimum qualification of Class 10 was made applicable to all candidates. She said that such laws will hinder women’s participation.
