As the women’s reservation bill got the President’s assent, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday hit out at the government, saying the bill may have become law but it will not become a reality for several years and is a “teasing illusion”.
President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to the bill which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
In a post on X, Chidambaram said the government has claimed that the women’s reservation bill has become “law”.
The bill may have become law but the law will not become a reality for several years, the former Union minister claimed.
“What is the use of a law that will be not be implemented for several years, certainly not before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections?” Chidambaram said.
“The law is a teasing illusion, a reflection of the moon in a bowl of water or a pie in the sky,” he said.
As many have said, the bill is an “election jumla”, Chidambaram said.
According to a law ministry notification issued on Friday, the President gave her assent to the bill on Thursday.
Now, it will be officially known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act.
According to its provision, “It shall come into force on such date as the central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint.”
During a special session of Parliament earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had described the law as “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”.
The Constitution amendment bill was passed by the Lok Sabha with near unanimity and the Rajya Sabha with unanimity.
The law will take some time before being implemented as the next census and the subsequent delimitation exercise – redrawing of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies – will ascertain the particular seats being earmarked for women.
The quota for women in the Lok Sabha and assemblies will continue for 15 years and Parliament can later extend the benefit period.
While there is quota within quota for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women, the opposition had demanded that the benefit be extended to Other Backward Classes.
SRK Bharat
