On women’s reservation Bill, Sonia Gandhi says it is ours

The Congress on September 18 said it welcomed the reported move as the party has been raising the demand for long

Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Congress' parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi on September 19 said the women's reservation Bill "is ours", amid speculation that the bill may be tabled in Parliament.

The Congress on Monday said it welcomed the reported move as the party has been raising the demand for long.

Asked about the bill when she was entering Parliament on Tuesday, Ms. Gandhi said, "It is ours, apna hai."

In a post on 'X' a day back, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill."

"This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and consensus could have been built instead of operating under a veil of secrecy," he said.

It's been a long-standing demand of the Congress party to implement women's reservation. We welcome the reported decision of the Union Cabinet and await the details of the Bill. This could have very well been discussed in the all-party meeting before the Special Session, and… https://t.co/lVI9RLHVY6

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 18, 2023

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said if the government introduces the women's reservation bill on Tuesday, it will be a "victory for the Congress and its allies in the UPA government".

It was during the UPA government that the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on March 9, 2010. But it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha.