Raipur: The Women’s Reservation Bill is a “Jumla” (empty promise) and will not be implemented till 2034, Congress Chief Shri Mallikarjun Kharge on September 28, 2023, said as he accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of “misleading” the people on the legislation.

The Congress leader was addressing a ‘Krishak-sah-Shramik Sammelan’ (farmers-cum-labourers convention) of the Chhattisgarh government in Sumabhata village in Balodabazar-Bhatapara district when he made the remarks. He said that the BJP could not do in 15 years what the Congress had done in five years in power in the state.

Accusing the BJP of trying to replace the Constitution, Kharge Ji said that people must support the Congress and Rahul Gandhi Ji to save the Constitution and Democracy. “The ‘Women Reservation Bill’ was passed recently. It is not a new one as (former Prime Minister) Rajiv Gandhi ji had brought 73rd and 74th amendment and ensured reservation to women in panchayat bodies,” he said.

“When Rajiv Gandhi brought 33 per cent reservation (bill in the parliament), the BJP had then opposed it. In one House, we got a majority (in favour of the bill) but in another House the BJP opposed it and the bill was defeated,” he added.

The same BJP was now thumping its chest and taking credit for the bill, Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said.

“When are they going to implement it (Women Reservation Bill)? They themselves say it will not happen in 2024 and that it will be implemented after Census and delimitation in 2029. This means it will be implemented in 2034. They (ruling BJP) just want to mislead people,” he claimed.

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “lying” for votes, Kharge Ji said that the former had earlier promised 2 crore jobs per year, Rs. 15 lakhs in bank accounts, doubling of farmers’ income etc. “When asked, (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) Shah ji says these were all ‘jumlas’. If these things can be ‘jumlas’, then the ‘Women Reservation Bill’ is also a ‘jumla’. This is because they (BJP) think they can make promises, people will vote and then forget,” he claimed.

Urging people to vote out the BJP from the Centre, Kharge Ji said that Sonia Gandhi Ji, Rahul Gandhi Ji and Priyanka Gandhi Ji were making efforts to support the poor and it was the duty of the people to support them.

“Rahul ji took out ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ and lakhs of people supported him to save Democracy and the Constitution. The BJP is trying to destroy the Constitution and replace it with another one. I appeal to Dalits, tribals and backwards to support Rahul ji and the Congress in this fight to save Democracy and the Constitution,” Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Pitching for “Caste Census”, he said that Congress wants a census of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) as it will provide detailed information so that welfare schemes can be launched. Chief Minister Shri Bhupesh Baghel was also present in the event, during which a total of Rs. 1,895 crores were disbursed into the bank accounts of 24.52 lakh farmers under the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana’ while a sum of Rs. 5.16 crore was given to cow dung sellers under the ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’.

Besides, an incentive of Rs. 57.18 crores, was also disbursed to 33,642 sugarcane growers in the state.

The event also saw the launch of ‘Mukhyamantri Nirman Shramik Pension Sahayata Yojna’ under which construction workers above 60 years of age and who are registered with the workers’ board for 10 years, will be given a monthly pension of Rs. 1,500 for the rest of their lives.