Sonia, Sushma, Brinda ran movement: Kavitha on Women Reservation Bill

New Delhi: Addressing a day-long hunger strike at Jantar Mantar to press for the passage of the Women Reservation Bill, BRS Leader K. Kavitha said on Friday that it has been pending for the past 27 years and many women’s organisations have tried to work on this.

“…1996 Deve Gowda ji introduced it after agitation by women. My salute to leaders of that time, Brinda Karat, Sonia Gandhi, Sushma Swaraj and others who ran a movement to make it possible,” she said.

Kavitha, who is the Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter, said, “A full majority government is in power. We demand the BJP government to introduce the bill. We will bring all the parties together and will try supporting you in Parliament.”

The Women’s Reservation Bill provides for the reservation of one-third of the total number of seats in the state Assemblies and Parliament for women.

The Congress decided not to participate in the one-day hunger strike.

The BRS said had earlier said that they have got confirmation about the participation from AAP – Sanjay Singh and Chitra Sarwara; Shiv Sena (Uddhav) delegation; Akali Dal – Naresh Gujral; PDP – Anjum Javed Mirza; NC – Dr Shami Firdous; Trinamool Congress – Sushmita Dev; JD(U)- K.C. Tyagi; NCP – Dr Seema Malik; CPI – Narayana K.; Sitaram Yechury – CPI(M); Samajwadi party – Pooja Shukla, RJD – Shyam Rajak; and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal.

Earlier, she had invited 18 political parties, including the Congress to join the one-day hunger strike to press.

The one-day protest is being held even as Kavitha is set to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday in the Delhi excise policy scam case.
IANS