Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha has made an appeal to all political parties to pass the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament.
Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister and BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has written letters to leaders of all political parties.
Former MP from Nizamabad, K. Kavitha, sent letters to the presidents of 47 political parties with representation in the Indian Parliament, urging them to unite and pass the long-awaited Women's Reservation Bill.
The member of Telangana Legislative Council addressed the letters to BJP president J.P. Nadda, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, YSR Congress Party president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telugu Desam Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad, Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi and others.
In this letter, she called upon them to set aside political differences and prioritise the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the upcoming special session of Parliament.
The Women's Reservation Bill seeks to reserve 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies for women. Despite being a crucial step towards gender parity and inclusive governance, the bill has remained in legislative limbo for far too long.
In her letter, Kavitha underscored the pivotal role women play in Indian discourse and the pressing need for their representation in legislative bodies. She highlighted the proof of concept provided by the 14 lakh women already active in public life, demonstrating their ability to lead and govern effectively.
Kavitha emphasised the importance of inclusivity in our democracy, asserting that increased women's representation is not a matter of exclusivity but a means to build a more equitable and balanced political landscape. She urged all political parties to recognise the urgency of this matter and throw their weight behind the Women's Reservation Bill.
In March Kavitha sat on a hunger strike in March in New Delhi demanding the tabling and passing of the Women's Reservation Bill. She has been engaging with political parties and civil society organisations across India to escalate the demand for the Bill.
A few days ago, she had announced her plans for another protest in the national capital during the winter session of the Parliament. She said leaders of both BJP and Congress will be invited.
The BRS leader had made this announcement when Congress and BJP mocked her protest after BRS named only six women in 115 candidates announced for coming Assembly elections in Telangana.
—IANS