Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra strongly criticized the Narendra Modi government on Wednesday, raising questions about whether women were being treated as inferior to cattle. Her comments were made during the Lok Sabha’s discussion of the women’s reservation bill in a special five-day Parliament session. Moitra pointed out the uncertainty surrounding the bill’s implementation due to the uncertain dates of the next census and the delimitation exercise.
“Are we being treated as less important than cows, that we must wait while you conduct a census and draw boundaries? We do not require empty praises; we need tangible action. Honorable Prime Minister, this is your opportunity to demonstrate that ‘Modi hai toh mumkin hai,'” she remarked.
Expressing her concerns about the reservation being dependent on a census and subsequent delimitation, Moitra mentioned that the reservation might not become a reality even by 2029.
“I take pride and yet feel dismay as I stand here in India’s Parliament discussing a women’s reservation bill. I am proud to belong to the All India Trinamool Congress, a party that has sent 37% women as its representatives to Parliament. However, it is disheartening to be a part of a Lok Sabha where only 15% of its members are women, falling well below the global average of 26.5% and the Asian regional average of 21%,” she added.
Moitra also highlighted that India ranked 140th out of 196 countries in the Inter Parliamentary Union’s rankings for women’s representation.
On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha passed a bill with overwhelming support, granting one-third of seats to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The opposition called for similar benefits to be extended to Other Backward Classes and for the immediate implementation of the measure before the upcoming elections.
