Speculation is growing as Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet in New Delhi on September 18 evening. This comes after the first sitting of the special session of Parliament, which will be held in the new building of Parliament from September 19. There are rumors that the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to reserve one-third of the seats in Lok Sabha and the State legislative Assemblies, may be tabled in Parliament during this ongoing session.
The meeting of the Union Cabinet lasted for over 90 minutes, but no formal briefing or release was given. Reports suggest that the Union Cabinet has approved the Women’s Reservation Bill, however, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel, first congratulated Prime Minister Modi on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) and later deleted his post.
The government has not made an official announcement about the Women’s Reservation Bill, and the agenda of the cabinet meeting is unknown. Despite this, several Congress leaders have taken to social media to welcome the bill and claim credit for it. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram stated that if the bill is introduced the government, it would be a victory for the Congress and its allies, as the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 during the UPA government.
The Congress party has been a vocal advocate for the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill and hopes for its introduction and passage in the ongoing session. Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh also welcomed the move and urged for more transparency in the process. However, there may be opposition from within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, as some parties have previously demanded quota within quota for other backward classes.
Overall, the speculation around the Women’s Reservation Bill is growing, and its potential introduction during this session of Parliament is eagerly awaited.
Sources:
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet in New Delhi (source: not provided)
– Women’s Reservation Bill to be tabled in Parliament (source: not provided)
– Prahlad Singh Patel’s Twitter post (source: not provided)
– Women’s Reservation Bill and its approval (source: not provided)
– Congress leaders welcoming the bill (source: not provided)
– Opposition to the bill from within INDIA bloc (source: not provided)
