Kathmandu— Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday expressed support for the Shiromani Akali Dal's decision to back the Women's Reservation Bill, emphasizing the necessity of political unity and a fair delimitation process to achieve equal representation for women. The announcement follows a high-level meeting of the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership in Chandigarh, where the party demanded the immediate implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to empower women in legislative bodies.

Demands For Immediate Implementation

During a senior leadership meeting in Chandigarh, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal called for the immediate enactment of the Women's Reservation Bill. Badal cited the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, who championed the dignity and equal rights of women, as the ideological foundation for the party's stance.

Badal noted that the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has already established a precedent by providing for women's reservation within its own House. The SAD's push for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam seeks to reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women.

Delimitation And State Interests

Beyond gender reservation, the SAD held extensive discussions regarding the proposed delimitation exercise. The party emphasized that the process must be conducted in a manner that protects the interests of all states, ensuring that no state is disadvantaged by the redistricting.

Badal expressed support for a specific seat-increase formula proposed by the Government of India, which suggests a uniform increase of 50% of seats for all states. The party maintains that both women's reservation and delimitation should be executed immediately to ensure equitable representation.

Legislative Context And Challenges

The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, was previously passed in both Houses of Parliament but has faced hurdles in moving toward full implementation. The legislation failed to advance after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill did not receive the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of members present and voting in the Lok Sabha on April 17.

The push for implementation continues as political parties navigate the complexities of constitutional amendments and seat redistribution.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.