Sad that Women’s Reservation Bill is yet to be passed: Deve Gowda

PTI, Mar 8, 2023, 4:20 PM IST

Extending Women’s Day greetings, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday expressed sadness about the ‘Women’s Reservation Bill’ not getting passed yet.

However, the octogenarian JD(S) patriarch, also expressed hope that the new generation will take it up.

”I wish everyone a very happy Women’s Day. The empowerment of women is the sign of our nation’s progress. In 1995, as CM, and as PM in 1996, I initiated the Women’s Reservation Bill. It is sad that it is yet to be passed. Hope the new generation will take it up,” Gowda said in a tweet.

The bill, which seeks to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, was first introduced in 1996. Thereafter, it was introduced several times.

The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in 2010, but it is yet to be passed by the Lok Sabha.