Mamata, Ambika Soni voice support for Women’s Reservation Bill

March 8th, 2011 - 10:23 pm ICT by ANI  

Ambika Soni New Delhi, Mar 8 (ANI): Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni echoed their support for the Women’s Reservation Bill on International Women’s Day today.

Talking to reporters here, Banerjee said: “We fully support this Women’s Reservation Bill, and at the same time I think that in minority there are some sentiments also, that you have to consider. But Women’s Reservation Bill we fully support.”

Meanwhile, Soni said lawmakers should move ahead from basic women empowerment towards the bigger issue of women’s reservation in Parliament.

“Women now consider themselves as powerful, and in the recent years especially, many programmes and efforts have been made with the help of which women are authorised to take their place in the society. In Panchayati Raj, it is 35 - 50, for women’s education and healthcare a lot has been done. These are the basic things from where we can build upon reservation in Lok Sabha”,” she added.

Some political parties including the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have been opposing the bill, seeking amendments to include reservation for Muslim, low-caste and backward class women, as well.

The bill was first introduced as the Constitution (81st Amendment) Bill 1996. It is now called the Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill 2010.

It was passed in the Rajya Sabha last year amid bedlam. (ANI)

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