After the assurance by Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal that neither men nor any state will suffer any loss due to the increase in the number of seats in Lok Sabha to 815, of which 272 seats will be reserved for women, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the opposition not to give political colour to the issue of women's reservation.
His appeal came after the Congress alleged in the Lok Sabha that the government wants to "bulldoze" delimitation in the name of women's reservation.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to tweak the women's quota law was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after a division of votes. Two ordinary bills—the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill to implement the proposed amended women's quota law in Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir—were also introduced in the House.
Allaying fears on delimitation, PM Modi, speaking in Lok Sabha, assured that no injustice will be done to any state, from east to west and north to south. He made an appeal to all the MPS to pass the amendments to women reservation law unanimously.
Modi called the the increased representation of women an embodiment of the government's vision of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.' "We all feel India's acceptance in the world today. This is a moment of pride for all of us. I believe that a 'Viksit Bharat' does not only mean railways, roads, infrastructure, or economic or progress figures. We are not people with such a limited vision of a 'Viksit Bharat'. We want a 'Viksit Bharat', where policy-making truly embodies the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas."
Harking back to his humble beginnings, Modi said he comes from one of the most backward communities, but it is his responsibility to take everyone along.
Modi said, "We MPs must not let this important opportunity slip away. Together, we Indians are going to give the country a new direction. We are going to make a meaningful effort to infuse our governance system with sensitivity. This will not only shape the nation's politics, but it will also determine the direction and condition of the country.
Taking a dig at a united opposition, which said they were not against women's reservation, but the manner in which it was introduced, the prime minister observed that those who opposed the quota for women were never forgiven by women of the country.
Taking a jibe at the DMK for black attire protest, PM Modi thanked them for putting 'kala tika' on bills to ward off evil eye.
He said the women's reservation has already been delayed, and it is a reality that everyone needs to accept. "I know that when this process was underway, consultations were held with all parties. Except for one party, everyone we met did not raise any principled opposition. Whatever happened later, a political direction is being taken now."