NEW DELHI: Congress president and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge stirred a row on Tuesday after saying that political parties have a tendency to choose “weak women candidates”. He didn’t single out any particular political party.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha on the women’s reservation bill tabled by the government earlier today, Kharge said that women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have lower literacy rates and that’s why political parties have a habit of choosing “weak women” candidates over those who are educated and can fight.
He was referring to the provision wherein 33% of the total House/assembly seats reserved for SC/ST communities will be set aside for women once the quota comes into force.
Kharge’s statement drew instant backlash from the treasury benches in Rajya Sabha.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Kharge shouldn’t make such a sweeping statement about political parties.
“We respect the leader of the opposition but to make a sweeping statement that all parties choose women who are not effective is absolutely unacceptable. We all have been empowered by our party, PM. President Droupadi Murmu is an empowered woman,” she said.
esponding to Sitharaman, Kharge said: “Women from backward communities don’t get such opportunities which they are getting, this is what we are saying…”
Earlier, Kharge also said that though PM Modi doesn’t give them credit, the women quota bill was already cleared by Rajya Sabha in 2010 during UPA rule but it couldn’t be passed due to obstables in Lok Sabha.
In his big first announcement from the new Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the Union Cabinet has cleared the women’s reservation bill at a meeting on Monday.
The bill, called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was later tabled in Lok Sabha by Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The bill proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Speaking in Rajya Sabha on the women’s reservation bill tabled by the government earlier today, Kharge said that women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have lower literacy rates and that’s why political parties have a habit of choosing “weak women” candidates over those who are educated and can fight.
He was referring to the provision wherein 33% of the total House/assembly seats reserved for SC/ST communities will be set aside for women once the quota comes into force.
Kharge’s statement drew instant backlash from the treasury benches in Rajya Sabha.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that Kharge shouldn’t make such a sweeping statement about political parties.
“We respect the leader of the opposition but to make a sweeping statement that all parties choose women who are not effective is absolutely unacceptable. We all have been empowered by our party, PM. President Droupadi Murmu is an empowered woman,” she said.
esponding to Sitharaman, Kharge said: “Women from backward communities don’t get such opportunities which they are getting, this is what we are saying…”
Earlier, Kharge also said that though PM Modi doesn’t give them credit, the women quota bill was already cleared by Rajya Sabha in 2010 during UPA rule but it couldn’t be passed due to obstables in Lok Sabha.
In his big first announcement from the new Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the Union Cabinet has cleared the women’s reservation bill at a meeting on Monday.
The bill, called Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was later tabled in Lok Sabha by Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.
The bill proposes 33 per cent reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
