Women Quota Bill .... now about to be reality :::: Once it was flayed fearing that more female MPs "will provoke young men to whistle in Parliament" :::: Sharad Yadav said accepting Quota Bill was like taking Poison

The long journey of Women Quota Bill began in 1996 when H D Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister. 

Between then and 2026 -- as many as 30 years have lapsed.

In between came a few turbulent period when the Bill was opposed tooth and nail. 

There were 'quotes' and some memorable anecdotes. 

In 2012, addressing a rural gathering in Barabanki district of UP he had said: 

"Bade bade gharon ki ladkiya aur mahilayan kewal upar ja sakti hain...yaad rakhna...apko mauka nahi milega..

hamare gaon ki mahila me akarshan itna nahin...,"

(Only girls and women from affluent class can go forward...

remember this ....... you (rural women) will not get a chance...Our rural women did not have that much physical attraction)".  

He made the statement at a time when his son Akhilesh Yadav had already taken over as the state chief minister. 

Prior to that in 2010, Mulayam Singh Yadav said: "... If the Women's Reservation Bill is passed it will fill Parliament with the kind of women who invite whistles".

Sharad Yadav 

In 1996 when the Bill was its infant stage Late Sharad Yadav had said --  

"The Bill would only help par-kati women".

He meant urbane women with short hairs - who would be far from traditional roots.

In 2010 during the stint of Manmohan Singh; Sharad Yadav said:

"Passing the Bill without giving quota to OBC women is akin to taking poison". 

Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav 

later endorsed Sharad Yadav did not do anything wrong by saying so. 

The then LoP Sushma Swaraj also joked and in a lighter veil told Sharad Yadav : "Kyon Sharad bhai, bawal hua na". 

(Sonia Gandhi)

In 2023, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said - "

“It (Women Bill) is ours. Woh hamara bill hai ” Sonia Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament. 

In fact, the Congress sought to take credit for the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was also cleared in the Rajya Sabha in 2010.

The then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government did not push the bill in Lok Sabha as its allies such as Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party demanded a sub quota. 

Among some others even the then Congress leader Ajit Jogi opposed the move for introducing the 81st Amendment by saying "this is not the kind of affirmative action which will help women. My apprehension is that it will destroy the strongest link in Indian society - that is, the family." 

"The housewife or the mother is the pivot around which the entire family revolves and if they go after these offices, the family will be neglected." 

On April 16, 2026 speaking in favour of the Bill, actress-turned-BJP MP Kangana Ranaut said: "This is the best time to be women".

ends