Women's reservation bill another 'jumla', won't come into force in 2024: Vijay Wadettiwar

Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative assembly Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday said the women's reservation bill was another “jumla” (false promise) of the BJP-led Union government as it would not come into force at the time of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, on the other hand, welcomed the bill.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done another `jumla' in the new building of Parliament," said Wadettiwar, a Congress leader, in a social media post.

"The women's reservation bill will come into effect only after the decadal census is completed. The census was supposed to be conducted in 2021 and it has not yet started," he said.

He also claimed that a bill reserving seats for women in state assemblies and parliament was first introduced by Congress.

“Modi has misled the women in the country on the very first day of the new parliament building,” Wadettiwar said.

Speaking to reporters elsewhere, Fadnavis said he welcomes "prime minister Modi's decision." "I am sure the bill will pass through both the houses and we will get to see more women representatives in the assembly and the Lok Sabha,” the BJP leader said.