PM Modi says Parliament is on the verge of history, ready to discuss women’s bill

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Parliament is on the verge of creating history, ahead of the Lok Sabha and the Union Rajya Sabha taking up the government bill to implement reserved seats for women in the legislative bodies from 2029. Amid opposition from Congress and its allies, he expressed confidence that the opposition would support the measures to ensure unanimous support.While some opposition parties slammed the government for “rushing” through the bills in state elections and raised questions about the delimitation proposals, Modi did not take up the issue at an event and instead spoke of the cross-party support the proposal has long enjoyed.

The passage of the women’s quota bill will be credited to each political party: Prime Minister Modi

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke of the longstanding cross-party support for the women’s quota proposal, including when the original law was enacted in 2023, and claimed that credit for the bill’s passage would belong to each political party. The Prime Minister of India addressed women achievers from different fields at the Nari Shakti Vandan program, which was also attended by former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar. India will take one of the most important decisions of the 21st century and the decades-long wait to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and Parliament will end during the three-day parliamentary session starting on April 16, the Prime Minister said. “Our country’s Parliament is on the verge of making history,” he said. He also emphasized that since becoming the chief minister of Gujarat, he has been committed to empowering women and has launched numerous welfare schemes for different sectors. He drew smiles and applause from the room when he pointed out how his measures to economically empower women, including houses built with government assistance registered in their names, would give them a say in family decisions. Modi said that when the law is enacted in 2023, everyone wants it to be implemented quickly, with opposition lawmakers being particularly vocal that the law will start in 2029. He added that the opposition’s comments were also taken seriously by the government. “Our priority is, and this time also is accomplished through dialogue, cooperation and everyone’s participation,” he said. The government needs the support of at least some opposition parties to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill, which requires a two-thirds majority, but the BJP’s main rivals including the Congress, TMC, DMK and SP – the four parties with enough MPs to deny the bill’s passage in the Lok Sabha – have so far not pledged their absolute support.