Hypocrisy is a virtue politicians display on their chest lapels. The Opposition criticism that the Women’s Reservation Bill is a “jumla”, a post-dated cheque, etc will carry conviction only if they in the coming Assembly and Parliamentary polls voluntarily give at least one-third of tickets to women. Nothing prevents any party, including the ruling BJP, from acting on the provisions of the Bill and nominating women for one-third of the seats in legislatures in the forthcoming elections. Since the Congress Party has now taken to harping on OBC reservations within reservations, the onus too is on it to make good on its word and implement voluntarily what it wanted the government to incorporate in the Bill. That the Bill it had passed in the Rajya Sabha for women’s reservation had no such mention of OBC reservation underlines yet again its thorough dishonesty. Playing to the gallery when the gallery may have got much wiser after years of wilful obfuscation and lies can no longer impress voters. Solid action on the ground will. Of that there is a woeful lack all around in political circles.
