Women's Reservation Bill Live: BJP calls bill 'historic, milestone', Congress terms it 'distraction tactic'

Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar has said that it is more important to pass the women's reservation bill first and if it has flaws, amendments can be made later to make it better. Akhtar was speaking at an event on Thursday, hours before Parliament approved the Constitution (128th Amendment) Bill -- Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam -- reserving a third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies for women. "People have issues with it, they are saying it lacks this, it doesn't have that. It should have included that. I don't want to get into that discussion, I am sure improvements are needed, maybe it's not perfect. Maybe it's not up to the total satisfaction of everybody, but it doesn't matter.

Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Friday said the Maharashtra government must provide assurance it will not give quota to any community from the Other Backward Classes pool. Talking to reporters here, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said there is "unrest" over quota demands from various segments. "The state government must give in writing that they will not provide quota to any community from the existing reservations for the OBCs," he said. Slamming the state government for not being able to solve quota issues, he said various groups were on hunger strike in different parts of Maharashtra.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday demanded immediate implementation of the women's reservation bill and expressed "100 per cent regret" that the proposed legislation during the UPA government did not include reservation for OBCs. He also demanded that the government should conduct a caste census and make public its findings along with that of the previous caste census conducted during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) rule. Noting that the government's intention behind bringing the bill was political, he said it will not be implemented in the next 10 years as it has been linked to the population census and delimitation exercise.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "When you had the opportunity to identify shortcomings in the participation and bringing equality for the backward communities, you could've included that. Since it's not mandated by the Constitution they did it on its pretext...This is the misfortune of the country that the women are betrayed. Women would answer them through votes." (ANI)

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and congratulated him for the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, saying women will now have greater representation in the highest decision-making bodies.

Tejashwi Yadav said, "When will this law get implemented? Does anybody have the answer? What's the meaning of a law if it doesn't get implemented? We would want 50% reservation for women instead of 33%, but at least OBC women and women from minority and backward communities should also have their part in it. We want each society to be represented." (ANI)

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and nearly 100 women functionaries of the Shiv Sena performed a special aarti for Lord Ganesha on Friday over the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament. As per a release issued by the party, nearly 100 functionaries of the party's women's wing from Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai performed the aarti at Shinde's residence here. The women thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the passing of the bill in Parliament.

Bharatiya Janata Party chief JP Nadda said on Friday that the Women's Reservation Bill passed in the Parliament is a historic moment and will be remembered for a long period of time. "For all of us, this is a historic moment that will be registered in history in times to come and remembered for a very long time. We are fortunate to be a witness to such a moment...," Nadda said at the BJP headquarters. (ANI)

Leaders from Other Backward Classes have agreed to a "big" meeting on Saturday to find ways to seek quota for OBCs in the just-cleared women's reservation bill, senior BJP leader Uma Bharti has said on X. The former Madhya Pradesh CM, however, has not shared details about the time and venue of the meeting of the OBC leaders on September 23. (PTI)

"This is an achievement for the country...The subject is not to take special credit, the subject is to understand the needs of society...The subject is to make a decision...This bill would be a milestone in the 21st century in the world...Its reference would be taken in other democracies of the world," the Union Minister told ANI.

While addressing the media, Rahul slammed the Centre and said that it's a distraction and diversion tactic from the OBC quota and nobody knows if this will even be implemented.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India scripted history with the passage of the women's reservation bill by the Parliament. The Prime Minister, in his address at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, thanked all political parties for extending their support for the bill.