New Delhi, April 18 (NationPress) In light of the unsuccessful attempt to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha, former Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi stated on Saturday that the public is now recognizing the agenda of the Union government, asserting that the BJP has never truly aimed to provide women with their deserved representation.

Chaturvedi reacted to this setback by emphasizing that the populace is becoming increasingly aware of the government's intentions. "The public is observing the underlying agenda. This agenda indicates a reluctance to grant women reservation and an attempt to interconnect various issues, suggesting that only an increase in seats will create opportunities for women," she told IANS.

She insisted that the Women's Reservation Bill, which was passed in 2023, should be separated from both census and delimitation processes and executed using the current framework.

"I must reiterate, the legislation you approved in 2023 needs to be detached from census and delimitation. Implement the Women's Reservation Bill with the existing seats. Only then will women perceive your political commitment," the Shiv Sena-UBT leader asserted.

Furthermore, Chaturvedi pointed out the unity of the entire Opposition on this matter and challenged the Union government to reintroduce the amendments in the forthcoming Monsoon session of Parliament.

"The Opposition is united on this issue. I challenge the government to pass these amendments in the next Parliament session. Only then should there be rallies and slogans. The public is informed and aware of the situation," she stated.

Reflecting on the 2023 law's passage, she noted that it had garnered significant consensus in Parliament and sought to provide 33 percent reservation for women.

"At that time, we urged the Union government to avoid linking the Bill to delimitation and the census. Our concerns were disregarded, yet in the interest of promoting women's rights, we extended our complete support," Chaturvedi remarked.

She further criticized the Union government for failing to show genuine commitment during the upcoming 2024 general elections.

"You did not allocate 33 percent of tickets to women, nor did you exhibit the necessary political will. Instead, you postponed implementation to 2029. We requested immediate action within the existing 543 seats," she said.

Reaffirming her position, Chaturvedi emphasized that the Opposition has persistently advocated for reservations within the current Lok Sabha seat structure.

"If the government genuinely intends to empower women, it should now allocate one-third of seats to them and instruct its alliance partners to follow suit. The Women's Reservation Bill must be separated from other legislative actions. In my opinion, the BJP has never had the intention to ensure women receive their rightful representation," she concluded.