- 3 hours ago
A political showdown is brewing in the national capital over the government's proposal to implement a thirty-three per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from the twenty-twenty-nine elections.
Category
đź—ž
NewsTranscript
00:00Freeming, you're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary. We come to you from Deerbhoom District from Rabindranath Tagore's aboard
00:08Shanti Miketan.
00:09Lots going on during elections. The heat is literally on, figuratively and literally where Begol is concerned.
00:17But lots going down in Delhi. Right in the thick of elections, there's a three-day session that the government
00:22has called to push through women reservation quota.
00:25And lo and behold, a massive showdown is brewing in the national capital as the three-day parliament session begins
00:34because the opposition, though they say that they are pro-reservation, but anti-delimitation, which would be a by-product
00:41if the women quota is pushed through.
00:51A full-blown political showdown is brewing. Parliament is set to begin a three-day special sitting from April 16
00:59to discuss the women reservation bill.
01:01The proposal aims to implement a 33-person quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies from 2029
01:09general elections, a move that could redraw India's electoral map.
01:15Prime Minister Modi is expected to speak in the Lok Sabha on April 16 and present a detailed road map
01:22for the bill.
01:24But here is the political centerpiece. The government is linking delimitation to the rollout of 33-person reservation for women
01:32in parliament.
01:33Prime Minister Modi has called it a historic step for women-led development, saying it will empower Nari Shakti and
01:40deepen democracy.
02:10Prime Minister Modi is the power of 33-person reservation for women in the country.
02:14The opposition is pushing back hard with Congress Chief Malik Arjun Kargay convening a united
02:20opposition meet in the national capital.
02:23The stand is clear, not against women's reservation but firmly opposed to the delimitation push.
02:30If you have to do the OBC Census on its basis, do not do the OBC Census on its basis
02:40and do not do the OBC Census on its basis.
02:46If you want to implement Women's Bill, then you have to implement Women's Bill.
02:52If you want to implement it, you will implement it and we will give you a whole.
02:57But in the past work, southern states, we will not do your work.
03:03The Samajwadi Party is also raising concerns, demanding a quota within quota for OBC women,
03:09warning that without it, the reservation could sideline backward communities.
03:37Opposition parties argued this could alter the federal balance and reshape political power equations between regions.
03:43The government has however slammed opposition over women's reservation issue.
03:49It's a reservation, there will be a delimitation committee, there will be that commission which sits in every state,
03:55they will talk with everybody, with all political parties and then only a call will be taken.
04:00You have fear about every law which is being passed whereas you don't do anything here.
04:07Former President of India, Pratibha Patil has written to Prime Minister Modi expressing her support for the Nari Shakti Vandan
04:14Adhiniam.
04:15She said the legislation would strengthen the constitutional framework by ensuring greater participation of women in legislative bodies.
04:23The centre, however, is holding firm. Union Minister Kiran Rajuju says no party will oppose women's reservation, highlighting the Prime
04:32Minister's outreach efforts.
04:34No political party will oppose it. An Honorable Prime Minister has expressed his gratitude to all the political parties for
04:42coming together in the national interest.
04:45Because women reservation cannot be a political issue. We have waited for 40 years.
04:51But with numbers, representation, caste equations at stake, this is no ordinary reform.
04:58It's a battle that could reshape India's political balance for decades.
05:03Bureau Report, India Today.
05:08Alright, let's quickly cut across to our panelists this evening.
05:11First joining me is Ms. Fauzia Khan.
05:13She is former Rajya Sabha MP from NCP Sharad Bawar faction.
05:17Ms. Khan, thank you for joining us this evening.
05:20I want to quickly ask you to elucidate what is your party's take in Parliament tomorrow.
05:30We have been struggling for this bill to be passed for years and years.
05:35We have agitated on roads.
05:38We have agitated on the Jantar Mantar.
05:40We have written articles.
05:42We have raised these issues in the Parliament.
05:45So we want the women's reservation to be implemented.
05:49The question is, why wasn't it done in 2023?
05:54At that time, why was the condition of census and delimitation imposed?
05:58If the government is so pro-women, then what was the reason for a stoppage at that point is the
06:08question.
06:09Secondly, why not justice everywhere?
06:13Why not in Rajya Sabha?
06:15Why not in legislative councils?
06:18And similarly, why not reservation also to OVC women?
06:22So there are so many questions.
06:25If they are making amendments on the constitutional amendment, then I think all these questions need to be answered.
06:33But look, what I want to say is that nation has a lot of questions in mind.
06:40Because the Constitution gives equal rights to everybody.
06:45Constitution believes in justice for everybody.
06:48Now, when you give a quota for women, the same formula should be applied everywhere.
06:55Because even in a jungle, whether it's lions, whether it's wolves, whether it's deer, whether it's peacocks, any animal,
07:05everybody has their own freedom and the right to live.
07:10Here, what we see is that a wolf is coming and wearing the skin of a sheep and trying to
07:20show that I am from among you and my justice is for all the sheep.
07:26Because in the guise of women's reservation...
07:30Alright, well, Ms. Khan, that's an interesting analogy that you've drawn to the jungle.
07:34But I want to ask you one direct question.
07:37Ms. Khan, tomorrow in Parliament, what is the stand that your party is going to take?
07:41So you're going to oppose the amendment in its current form.
07:45Is that what you're saying? Because there will be a constitutional amendment.
07:48See, in Parliament, it is not just opposition or favoring.
07:51In Parliament, we debate and discuss. So we will discuss whatever we want that this should be included in the
07:59reservation bill.
08:00But my point is that it shouldn't be the wolf wearing a sheepskin and saying that we are giving reservation,
08:08but actually attacking the delimitation.
08:10So you cannot have an assault on the Constitution by wearing the sheepskin.
08:15That is the danger which the nation is seeing.
08:21So the NCP will be opposing it. That's what you're saying. Thank you.
08:24But we don't want this to have danger of the Constitution.
08:30Okay, so net-net, you will be opposing it in Parliament. I want to quickly cut across right now to
08:36our panelists joining me.
08:37No, I didn't say that. I didn't say we are opposing. Did I say that?
08:41Okay, ma'am, what did you say? No, no, I'm asking you, ma'am, what is it that you're going
08:47to be, then what is the stand in Parliament tomorrow?
08:52We are going to favour the bill, but we want certain things to be included properly in it.
08:58There should be amendments made properly and the opposition should be heard and their suggestions should be incorporated, which is
09:06not done.
09:07It's always, always, always bulldozed. So that shouldn't be there. And that is our right in the Parliament, I suppose.
09:18Okay, okay. Thank you, Ms. Khan, for joining us. I want to cut across to Shama Mohammed, the spokesperson, Congress,
09:23Neha Bagga, spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party.
09:25Shama Mohammed, let's begin with you. Technically, if you look at it, this has been the dream.
09:30Many times, spokespersons from the Congress have come and said, the eternal dream of Sonia Gandhi, your leader from the
09:35Congress, it's coming true.
09:36Why put a spoke in the wheel, Ms. Mohammed? Okay, so let's start with, you have mentioned Sonia Gandhi, the
09:43UPA, the Congress government got this bill in 2010.
09:46Let's understand it. We could pass it in the Rajya Sabha. We could not pass it in the Lok Sabha
09:51because we did not have a majority.
09:53Let's also go back to the 1980s, when the 73rd and the 74th Amendment, I mean, we brought in the
10:00bill during Rajiv Gandhi's time,
10:02and then the 73rd and 74th Amendment, we did it during the time of Narasimha Rao, in which we got
10:0933% reservation for Panchayat women.
10:12And I can see the difference when I am in Kerala during the corporation and municipal corporation elections and the
10:18Panchayat elections.
10:20If this time it's a man, the next time it's a woman. And in Kerala, for example, it's 50%, not
10:2533%. Some states have now increased it to 50%.
10:28Now, like you said, we were all for this bill. We passed it in 23. The only issue is why
10:36the Article 334 says that there has to be a census and delimitation according to that.
10:45The question arises is that, why do you want to change it now? You could have done it that time
10:49itself without putting the 334A and gone ahead.
10:54Khargeji, during that time when the bill was passed, said, let's do it with the 543, whatever is the number
10:59in the Lok Sabha.
11:00Let's go and give 33% to women at that point of time without delimitation and the caste census.
11:05But the government was not ready then. Now, our question is why suddenly you call this session when there are
11:13elections in two states and says, no, we want to amend 106, all right, and change 334A and put in
11:22this new thing.
11:24The question is why they hurry because we are for the bill. But I can't hear you, Preeti. Preeti, I
11:30can't hear you.
11:31And tell me if I'm correct. Number one, ma'am, ma'am, can you hear me? Can you hear me?
11:37Yeah, I can hear you now. Am I good? Audible?
11:38I can hear you now. Yeah, I can hear you. Yeah, yeah.
11:39If I'm audible, I'm going to come right back to you, but allow me to paraphrase. You support women reservation
11:47is what you're saying. Number one, you suspect the timing. It's happening bang in the middle of elections. Number two,
11:52you want it on 543 seats because you think it's not reservation, it's not representation, but delimitation, which is the
12:00aim.
12:00Is that your argument? I'll come back to you. More or less, is that your argument? And one more point.
12:0527, the census is coming out. Why not wait for it since that is the reason they said it did
12:10not happen at that time? And also the southern states, what happens to the southern states? We have control population,
12:17everything, and you get more seats in the northern states. And what basis is that?
12:21Okay. But Dr. Mohamed, that has pretty much, no, your third point has pretty much, you know, been explained by
12:29the government where they said there'll be proportional representation. Southern states don't really need to worry about that. But I'll
12:35come back to you. You can, you can. Okay.
12:38I'll come back to you. I'll come back to you. Allow me to bring Neha Baga into this conversation. Neha
12:42Baga, couple of questions. You know, constantly what is said is either you do it or you don't do it.
12:48Your government has decided to do it. There is also another question is how you do it. Number one, Neha
12:53Baga, I'm standing right now in West Bengal. All the MPs from the ruling party here who wanted to be
13:01in Delhi are now torn because they are campaigning.
13:04You are less than 10 days away where Bengal polls in its first phase. What was the tearing hurry to
13:10do it bang in the middle of elections? Because most of the MPs who wanted to be there are busy
13:14campaigning here. So, number one, that why the timing? Is it suspect? That is what the Congress and other opposition
13:22parties are questioning. On the other account, ma'am, how are you doing it? Is it representation that you're looking
13:28at or is the ultimate aim delimitation as per your terms?
13:32It will be the first time for the amendment. We applied in 1996, September 1996. And today we are standing
13:41in 2026. So, number one, for any amendment in the bill, you need to have a willpower, which Narendra Modi
13:50ji has showed.
13:50And I think that whether it be Congress or any other political party, I don't see that they are against
13:57this and they have passed it in majority in parliament.
14:01And talking about elections in West Bengal, because you said that you're in West Bengal, in every year or every
14:07next, every year or the other year, you'll see that there are elections.
14:11So, until we have one election, one nation, one election, you'll see that happening every time. That is why Pradhan
14:18Mantri Modi ji has said that
14:20But Neha Baga, let me, let me, let me, okay, I'll tell you what the, because you bring it, I'm
14:26going to come right back to you.
14:27But allow me to interject. And the reason I'm interjecting is, most MPs from the Trinimal Congress we spoke to
14:33and we spoke to one just today, it's there.
14:35They are saying, do it 29th, do it the day that the elections are over here, wait for 10 days,
14:43why hold it bang in the middle of the heat of election campaign?
14:47See, I said it very clearly that every time you'll see some of the other election happening, be it local
14:53body election, assembly election or some other election.
14:56So, that is not the point till we are done with one nation, one election.
15:00Number two, that we were waiting from 1996 and now we are standing in 2026.
15:06So, this is a big, big decision which Narendra Modi ji has taken and it was passed by majority, by
15:13all opposition in 2023 itself.
15:17I think it's high time and I was shocked and in fact, I think nation was shocked to see Sonia
15:24Gandhi ji speaking about that and that too in opposition.
15:27Because Tamil Nadu ho, ya bangal ho, donoh mein hi, koi matlab nahi ya congress ka, they're nowhere.
15:34And I don't understand why they're getting cold feet because they don't have anything in both these states and as
15:42we can say, we can see their last representation, what happened in those assembly.
15:48Number three, that denimitation is not...
15:50Paniya Bhakar, I'll come back to you because it's not just the congressism, it's the DNK as well.
15:56Everyone has banded together.
16:00It's not just the congress.
16:01There's Samajwadi party as well.
16:03They have no skin in the game in any of these elections.
16:05Yet, they're opposing what we're doing.
16:07I'm just saying that denimitation is not Bharti Janta party's conspiracy, but it's our right.
16:14By 50% of the population, female, they were waiting for so long and if it is happening...
16:20Okay, I want to give just one and a half minutes to each of you.
16:23I want to bring in Shama Mohammed.
16:26No, no, I have a simple question to her.
16:28Okay, Shama Mohammed, you need political will to push through big ticket decisions.
16:33And one second, can I come to Shama Mohammed?
16:36Shama Mohammed, you need political will to go ahead and push through big ticket decisions like this.
16:42It's happening now, go for it.
16:44Can I ask her one question?
16:47She says, 96, we are waiting.
16:49It was passed in 23.
16:51If you're going to use the 2011 census now, in 23, you could have used the 2011 census and done
16:58it.
16:59We could have had it by 24.
17:00You would have used the 2011 census, done the delimitation and why did you wait three years?
17:06I didn't understand that part.
17:08We were ready then.
17:09I'll tell you one thing.
17:10You're going to amend.
17:12You're amending 334A in which you clearly said...
17:17So, you can use the 2011 census then.
17:21Why are you today coming with 2011?
17:24If you're coming today for amendment, it should be 27, no?
17:27Why didn't you use the 2011 census then one question to her, which she has not answered,
17:32so that we could have gone with...
17:33How did you answer?
17:34You used that census and done the delimitation then.
17:36Or like Khargeji said in parliament, where you're saying will to us,
17:41we said do it at that point with 543.
17:44Give 33% on that.
17:45We were ready for that.
17:46So, look at it.
17:47You people want to increase the seats for men and then give the women.
17:51We were ready.
17:52Look at how women power is in the Congress Party.
17:55We were ready at 543.
17:57Give 33 from there.
17:58You are still pleasing the men.
18:00That's what you're doing.
18:01We were ready at that point.
18:02And use the 2011 census.
18:03Dr. Mohamed, you're saying look at the Congress Party.
18:09One second.
18:09I'll go to Neha Baga.
18:10I don't have the time, ma'am.
18:11Allow me.
18:12But when you said look at the Congress Party, ma'am.
18:13Look at your CWC.
18:15Look at your CWC, Dr. Mohamed, and count the women in your CWC.
18:19I want to answer, Preeti.
18:21I'm saying look at your CWC.
18:24For how long Congress Party want women to just give their flag?
18:27Okay, can I just get Ms. Baga?
18:29I don't have that much of time.
18:30Political representation was important and this is happening.
18:33See, you see, now at present, we have 74 members of parliaments in Lok Sabha.
18:40But with this, we will have 274.
18:43And I'll tell you that there will be no bias with any of the states.
18:4750% seat in every state is going to increase.
18:51Which says clearly that there's no bias.
18:54According to the population, it is going to increase the 50%.
18:58So in every state, if it is increasing by 50%, where is the bias happening?
19:04I think, Shainaji, this is the moment of celebration.
19:08I need to come along with the bill.
19:11Instead of pinpointing it,
19:12Shama, Shama, Shama, not Kyla.
19:14It's your right being in opposition.
19:17Thank you ladies for joining us.
19:19I don't have the time.
19:21We are going to continue this debate tomorrow.
19:23And especially in the next three days to come.
19:25But the Congress's charges that we are okay.
19:28We want representation.
19:29But it's not what the government or the BJP wants.
19:33They don't want representation.
19:34They want delimitation.
19:35The BJP and the government says it takes political will to push through big ticket decisions.
19:41And the Prime Minister has that political will.
19:44We leave it for you to decide on all aspects.
19:46It's our job to bring you all facets of this argument.
19:49Thank you for joining us.
19:50On the other side is Gorushawant.
Comments