Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has pledged to implement the women’s reservation bill and conduct a nationwide caste census immediately if the Congress comes to power. He criticized the BJP for not implementing the women’s reservation bill and accused them of using it for publicity and votes
New Delhi : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced the party’s commitment to swiftly implement the women’s reservation bill and conduct a nationwide caste census if the Congress comes to power. Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party’s apex decision-making body, Kharge criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not implementing the bill, which aims to reserve 33% of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Kharge highlighted the Congress’s support for the women’s reservation bill and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of neglecting its immediate implementation. He emphasized that the bill was brought for publicity and vote bank purposes. The bill was recently approved by Parliament, but its implementation is pending until the next census and delimitation exercise, which will identify the specific seats allocated for women. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the 33% quota for women would be effective after 2026.
During the CWC meeting, attended by former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as chief ministers from Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh, Kharge refuted BJP’s claims that the Congress obstructed women’s reservations, asserting that Congress had consistently empowered women in India. He pledged to implement women’s reservation along with ensuring political participation for OBC women if Congress assumes power in 2024.
Kharge also criticized the government’s failures and false propaganda. He urged party leaders to counter the ruling party’s attacks and misinformation, emphasizing the need to rebut lies and propaganda. Kharge called for a nationwide caste census to ensure social justice and rights for SCs, STs, and OBCs based on their population, a demand he highlighted while noting the government’s silence on the topic.
Furthermore, Kharge expressed concerns about the government’s indifference towards the discontent among government employees regarding the new pension scheme. He accused the central government of misusing federal investigating agencies to target political rivals, underlining the urgency to address these issues as the general elections approach.
