NEW DELHI: Amid speculation that the women's reservation bill may be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Congress said it welcomes the reported move as the party has been raising the demand for long.
"We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
"This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and consensus could have been built instead of operating under a veil of secrecy," the Congress leader said.
He also shared a detailed post he made on Sunday to underline how the Congress has been supporting the move.
"The Congress Working Committee has demanded that the Women's Reservation Bill must be passed during the Special Session of Parliament," he said quoting the CWC resolution that was passed at its meeting in Hyderabad this weekend.
Ramesh had on September 17 said former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi first introduced the Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation in panchayats and nagarpalikas in May 1989.
It passed in Lok Sabha but failed in Rajya Sabha in September 1989, he noted.
He also said then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao reintroduced Constitution Amendment Bills for one-third reservation for women in panchayats and nagarpalikas in April 1993.
Both Bills passed and became law.
"Now there are more than 15 lakh elected women representatives in panchayats and nagarpalikas. This comes to about 40 per cent. As PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh brought Constitution Amendment Bill for one-third reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures. Bill passed on March 9, 2010, in the Rajya Sabha. But it was not taken up in Lok Sabha," Ramesh claimed.
He said Bills introduced/passed in Rajya Sabha do not lapse and the Women's Reservation Bill is still very much active.
"The Congress party has for the past nine years been demanding that the Women's Reservation Bill already passed by the Rajya Sabha should now get passed by the Lok Sabha as well," he said.