Sonia Gandhi's resounding support for Women's Reservation Bill: 'It's ours, apna hai'

During the ongoing special session of Parliament, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi responded to media queries regarding the Women's Reservation Bill. In a confident tone, she declared, "It is ours, apna hai." This statement reflects the Congress party's long-standing support for the bill, which seeks to reserve 33 percent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women.

The Women's Reservation Bill was originally passed in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA government's tenure in 2010 but had not been taken up in the Lok Sabha at that time. Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram welcomed the recent move by the central government to clear the bill. He viewed this development as a victory for the Congress and its UPA allies.

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Chidambaram also pointed out that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had previously kept the bill on hold, hoping that the demand for it would fade away. However, it has now resurfaced after a decade.

Minister of State Prahlad Singh Patel had initially announced the government's approval of the bill but later deleted the post. This generated significant buzz and discussions surrounding the bill.

Congress's stance and call for consensus

Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary, welcomed the reported decision of the Union Cabinet regarding the Women's Reservation Bill. He emphasized the need for transparency and consensus-building, suggesting that such matters should have been discussed in an all-party meeting before the special session commenced.

Ramesh highlighted that while the bill had passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, it had not been taken up in the Lok Sabha. He clarified that bills introduced and passed in the Rajya Sabha do not lapse, indicating that the Women's Reservation Bill remains active.

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In summary, the Women's Reservation Bill has resurfaced as a topic of discussion during the special parliamentary session, drawing attention from various political figures. The bill's fate and the consensus-building process are likely to be key points of discussion and debate in the days to come.