Sonia Gandhi sends a Women's Reservation Bill reminder to PM Narendra Modi
Congress president Sonia Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remind him of the Women's Reservation Bill that was passed by the Rajya Sabha in March 2010.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi reminded him of the landmark Women's Reservation Bill and asked him to pass the legislation, which she said has been languishing in Lok Sabha "for one reason or another".
Assuring Modi of Congress support to the Bill, Sonia wrote, "I am writing to request you to take advantage of your majority in the Lok Sabha to now get the Women's Reservation Bill passed in the Lower House as well."
"The Congress party has always and will continue to support this legislation, which will be a significant step forward in the empowerment of women," she wrote.
The Women's Reservation Bill envisages 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and all state legislative assemblies. Sonia reminded Modi that the Bill has already been passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010 when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was in power.
In her letter, Sonia also mentioned that her husband and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was the first to moot the reservation of women in panchayats and nagarpalikas.
In May this year, the Congress's women's wing, Mahila Congress, had also launched a signature campaign seeking early passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. The campaign was launched by Sonia Gandhi on the occasion of the 26th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi at his memorial Veer Bhoomi in New Delhi.