On Women’s Day, Sonia says ‘give us our due’

QUOTA BILL Her demand for 33% quota in Parl finds support from MPs across parties

NEW DELHI: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday pushed for the early passage of the women’s reservation bill in Parliament, with the subject finding resonance among lawmakers on International Women’s Day.

Gandhi said the NDA government’s “maximum governance” philosophy also means “giving us women, our legitimate due”, a demand that was endorsed by female lawmakers in both Houses across party lines.

The long-pending bill that would amend the Constitution aims to reserve a third of the seats in Parliament and state legislatures for women.

“Maximum governance is more than just accelerated pace of economic growth. It is also expanding the base of disagreement without inviting retribution,” she said. “Surely, maximum governance does not mean to have double standards in dealing with women’s rights.”

Experts say among hundreds of women’s issues that need to be addressed, an important one is to ensure that they have a voice in the highest seats of power.

At a conference of female legislators in Delhi on Sunday, PM Narendra Modi avoided any mention of the quota legislation. The government refused to set a time frame for bringing a fresh bill, insisting that consensus is needed for its passage.

Criticising the move by some BJP-ruled states such as Haryana and Rajasthan to set minimum educational qualifications for fighting panchayat polls, Gandhi said it denies “for no fault of theirs” a large number of rural women from the SC and the ST their constitutional rights.

“This compels our urgent legislative attention,” she said. The Rajya Sabha passed the women’s quota bill when the UPA was in power in March 2010 amid high drama that saw marshals evicting unruly members.

THE BILL WOULD AMEND THE CONSTITUTION AND RESERVE A THIRD OF SEATS IN PARLIAMENT, STATE LEGISLATURES FOR WOMEN LAWMAKERS