Parliament Special Session Live Updates: On women’s quota Bill, Oppn sticks to OBC demand; Asaduddin Owaisi opposes it, calls it ‘Anti-Muslim women’

Amid the ongoing debate in the Lok Sabha over the women’s reservation Bill, the Opposition parties stuck to their demand of a quota within a quota. Opening the debate for the Congress party, Sonia Gandhi extended the party’s support to the Bill, saying that there shouldn’t be any delays in the implementing of the Bill. However, she added, a “caste census should be conducted to ensure reservation for women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs…”. Meanwhile, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha, and called it an “exclusive” and “anti-Muslim women” legislation. The Opposition has criticised the clauses in the Bill according to which the quota will only be implemented after the delimitation exercise that takes place after a Census. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal highlighted the delay in enforcing the women’s reservation Bill. Calling it a “jumla“, she said, “When it was known that the Women’s Reservation Bill was being brought, the hopes were built up till there only to be dashed in 24 hours because in the details lies the devil… The details have come out that the bill will be implemented after the census and delimitation take place.” TMC MP Mahua Moitra also asked why the Bill should wait for the government to “count numbers” and “draw lines”. DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, meanwhile, hit out at the Centre saying, “I would like to know what consensus was built, what discussions were held. This Bill was brought shrouded in secrecy”. NCP MP Supriya Sule, too, stood in support of the Bill, on behalf of her party. However, she added, “why can’t we demand SC, STs, and OBCs quota… let’s make a Constitutional amendment”. (Via Indian Express)