Union Minister Pralhad Joshi Accuses INDIA Bloc of Betraying Women Over Reservation Bill
Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the INDIA bloc, alleging that the opposition alliance has betrayed women across the country by opposing the women's reservation bill. Addressing a news conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Joshi accused the Congress party of having a long and consistent history of denying justice to women and backward communities.
Congress Accused of Deceiving Women and Blocking Justice
Joshi stated that the Congress party has a tradition of deceiving women, citing the landmark Shah Bano case as a prime example. He alleged that the Congress brought in a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court verdict in that case, thereby systematically denying justice to Muslim women. The minister emphasized that this pattern of behavior demonstrates a fundamental lack of commitment to women's rights within the party's historical framework.
Clarification on Delimitation and Southern States' Representation
The Union Minister also addressed what he called false propaganda being spread by the Congress regarding delimitation. Joshi clarified that the intention behind the women's reservation bill is to increase the total number of seats in the Lok Sabha by 50%, not to reduce representation for southern states. He provided specific data, stating that if the bill is implemented, the representation of southern states in the Lok Sabha would actually rise from 23.76% to approximately 24%. Joshi noted that Congress leader K C Venugopal had demanded inclusion of such a provision, and it was accepted in the legislative process.
Historical Legislative Failures on Women's Reservation
Tracing the legislative history of the women's reservation bill, Joshi highlighted multiple instances where Congress failed to support the measure:
- In 1996, when then Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda introduced the proposal with Congress support, the party ultimately did not back it.
- During BJP-led governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1998 and 1999, Congress refused to cooperate on the bill.
- Although the women's reservation bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2008 with BJP's support during the United Progressive Alliance government, Congress did not take steps to pass it in the Lok Sabha.
- Even until 2014, despite BJP offering consistent support, Congress failed to bring the bill forward, showing it does not stand with women or OBC communities.
Allegations Regarding Backward Classes and Reservations
Joshi further accused Congress of failing to implement key recommendations for backward classes, including those of the Kaka Kalelkar commission and the Mandal commission. He pointed to parliamentary records showing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's opposition to the Mandal commission. The minister alleged that since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress has consistently opposed reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, undermining social justice initiatives.
Implementation Process and Political Double Standards
Joshi explained that the implementation of women's reservation requires delimitation, and the decision on which constituencies would be reserved rests entirely with the delimitation commission. He asserted that the BJP has consistently supported greater representation for women, and BJP-ruled states have already backed the bill. The minister accused Congress and the CPM of political double standards, noting that while they fight in Kerala but act as allies in Delhi, they have jointly opposed the women's reservation bill, revealing contradictory political behavior.
