Thane (Maharashtra) [India], April 6 : Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday said that Women's Reservation Bill is a matter of pride for women and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken this step for their empowerment.
"Prime Minister Modi is advancing the country, bringing glory to the nation. Our country's economy is strengthening... In such a situation, our women, our sisters, should gain self-respect; they should be self-reliant. This is a matter of pride for women... PM Modi has taken this step for the empowerment of women," Shinde told reporters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the government has called a special session of Parliament on April 16, 17, and 18 so that benefit of women's reservation comes into force from the 2029 Lok Sabha polls and said states that have done good work in population control will not face any loss in terms of seats.
Addressing a campaign rally here, the Prime Minister referred to the efforts by the BJP government to empower women and said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed during the rule of the party-led NDA government.
"So far, the BJP government at the Centre has reached every kind of basic facility to our sisters. We have made 3 crore sisters Lakhpati Didis, but it is very necessary that the role of women increases even more in the decisions being made for the country. Therefore, our government has enacted a law to provide 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Efforts are now being made to ensure that sisters across the country, including West Bengal, benefit from this starting from the Lok Sabha elections in 2029," he said.
PM Modi said that an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats will benefit women and all states.
"Therefore, the government has scheduled a special session of Parliament on April 16, 17, and 18. This right of our mothers and sisters has been pending for 40 years. Any further delay is not right. From Cooch Behar, I once again assure all states of the country that those states that have done good work in population control will not face any loss in terms of seats," he said.
Lok Sabha has 543 seats and a proposed 50 per cent increase will take the number to 816, with 273 (about a third) reserved for women.