Shimla, April 25
The Himachal Pradesh Mahila Congress on Saturday accused the BJP-led central government of misleading women over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation Bill and announced a campaign to send 10 lakh postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate enforcement of 33 per cent reservation.
Addressing a press conference in Shimla, state Mahila Congress president Zainab Chandail said the bill, though passed, has been linked to census and delimitation, leading to delays in its implementation. She said the move has effectively postponed the benefits of reservation for women.
“The bill has been passed, but tied to the census and delimitation, which has delayed its implementation. If the government is serious about women’s welfare, it should implement 33 per cent reservation based on the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats,” Chandail said.
She alleged that the implementation could be pushed to 2029 or beyond and questioned the intent behind the delay. Chandail said women should be given reservations from the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if the government is committed to their representation.
Targeting the BJP, she said the party has made promises but failed to act when it comes to ensuring women’s rights. She alleged that the ruling party is reluctant to increase women’s representation in legislative bodies.
Chandail also highlighted the Congress party’s record on women’s empowerment, stating that reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions was introduced during Congress rule and later expanded to 50 per cent.
The Mahila Congress said the postcard campaign aims to press the Centre for immediate action and ensure greater representation of women in Parliament.
