Rahul Gandhi Voices Profound Regret For Congress’ Omission Of OBCs From Women’s Bill

Rahul Gandhi expressed regret that the Congress did not pass the women’s reservation bill, particularly a quota for women from OBC communities, when they were in power, which might have become law a decade ago.

In 2010, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal demanded a quota within a quota for OBC women, but the Congress rejected this, leading to the withdrawal of support and the bill’s failure to pass in the Lok Sabha.

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The Congress criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party’s version of the bill for mandating a census and redrawing constituency boundaries, potentially delaying its implementation until 2029 or 2034.

Opposition parties united to condemn this delay and demanded the removal of census and delimitation provisions for immediate implementation.

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Sonia Gandhi emphasized the need for immediate implementation and called for reservations for women from SC, ST, and OBC communities, citing gross injustice to women due to the delay.

The BJP defended the delay, citing the need for transparency in seat reservation decisions and potential political bias if they were responsible for the process.

Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of using the women’s reservation bill as a diversion from the demand for a caste census, which he argued is crucial for understanding India’s diverse population.

He also highlighted the underrepresentation of OBCs and marginalized groups in government positions and budget control.