It is women who give direction to society: Sheila Dikshit
Bill proposes to reserve 33% of all seats in the Lok Sabha & in all state legislative assemblies for women.
Sheila Dikshit and Sharmistha Mukherjee at a function on the eve of International Women’s Day on Saturday. (Source: Express Photo by Renuka Puri)
Speaking at an event organised by the Delhi Mahila Congress on the eve of International Women’s Day, former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Saturday stressed on the need for the BJP government at the Centre to be proactive in passing the Women’s Reservation Bill.
The Bill proposes to reserve 33 per cent of all seats in the Lok Sabha and in all state legislative assemblies for women. The seats, to be reserved in rotation, will be determined by draw of lots in such a way that a seat shall be reserved only once in three consecutive general elections. The Rajya Sabha had passed the Bill in 2010.
“From the Congress point of view, we have always been in favour of reservation for women. Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had brought about changes at the panchayat level… It is my hope and appeal to other parties that they cooperate in this. It is women who give direction to society,” Dikshit said.
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Dikshit was sharing the stage alongside other senior Congress leaders including Sharmistha Mukherjee, daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, and Congress MP from Assam Sushmita Dev.
“The current government has committed to passing the Bill and half their job is done. They have majority in the Lok Sabha and unless they want to make changes in the Bill, there is no need for them to delay it further,” Mukherjee said.
Dikshit said it was the Congress government that had started the Kishori scheme and the Ladli Yojana. “The government should be proactive so that we as a society can come together,” she said.
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