Rajya Sabha member and MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Thursday demanded that reservation be provided for women of the Other Backward Classes and the minority communities in the 33% quota for women in the legislatures.
Participating in the debate on the women’s reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha, he asked the Centre to undertake the delimitation of the constituencies at the earliest so that the 33% reservation could come into force soon.
According to the Bill passed by Parliament on Thursday, the reservation will come into force only after the completion of the census and the delimitation.
The majority of the allies of the MDMK in Tamil Nadu, including the ruling DMK, have expressed apprehensions that the delimitation will reduce the southern States’ representation in Parliament.
Referring to the provision in the Bill that the reservation will remain in force for 15 years, Mr. Vaiko said it was too short a period, and hence, it should be extended.
In the debate, he recalled the contributions of the Justice Party to the provision of voting rights to women and the role of ‘Periyar’ E.V. Ramasamy and late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in ensuring the property rights of women.
