HYDERABAD: BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Thursday announced that the Bharat Jagruthi would be holding a one-day hunger strike on March 10 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi demanding the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. Kavitha said that representatives of women’s organisations from 29 States as well as several political parties are likely to participate in the protest.
Addressing the media at her residence here, the MLC said that in 1992, the 72nd Constitutional Amendment ensured 33% of the seats in local bodies were reserved for women, and in 1993, the 73rd amendment reserved 33% of seats for women in urban local bodies. “Yet, the Women’s Reservation Bill seeking 33% of seats in Parliament and Assemblies for women has been pending for 27 years, after first being introduced in 1996,” she said.
Kavitha said that in the first Lok Sabha in 1952, India had 24 women MPs and after 75 years of Independence, the country has 78 women MPs. “This growth has not been exponential,” she pointed out, criticising the BJP for failing to fulfil the promises it made in its manifesto for the 2014 and 2019 General Elections.
The former MP also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for speaking about “Nari Shakti” from the Red Fort but in actuality, doing nothing for women’s empowerment. She recalled that the BRS, under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, had passed a resolution in the Telangana Assembly that the party would support the Women’s Reservation Bill whenever it is introduced in Parliament.
She reminded that KCR had also proposed an alternative — an increase in the number of seats by 33% to accommodate women and thus address the insecurities of leaders and parties and paving way for the soft passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
During the media interaction, Kavitha also welcomed the Supreme Court’s orders on the selection of the Election Commissioner. “It’s a very welcome move. Finally, the Election Commission has been freed from the clutches of the BJP and Narendra Modi.”
Responding to comments by Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay, she said: “Leaders like Bandi Sanjay idolise bulldozer raj, and double-engine sarkars that actually have ‘failed’ engines. There can be no comparison of Telangana with any other State.”