NEW DELHI: The Congress party has been reminding one and all that the women reservation bill, which is speculated to be introduced in the ongoing special Parliament session, has been a long standing demand of the grand old party.

Speaking on the speculated tabling of the women reservation bill in the Parliament, former UPA chairperson and Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi said: “It’s ours. Apna Hai.”

It may be mentioned here that the Modi-led union cabinet has ‘cleared’ the Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB) on Monday (September 18).

This was confirmed by minister of state for food processing industries Prahlad Patel confirmed the news on X.

However, he later deleted the post.

“Only the Modi government had the moral courage to fulfil the demand for women’s reservation which was proved by the approval of the cabinet. Congratulations Narendra Modi ji and congratulations to the Modi government,” the union minister had posted on X.

Meanwhile, amid speculation that the women’s reservation bill may be tabled in Parliament, the Congress said it welcomes the reported move.

“We welcome the reported decision of the union cabinet and await the details of the Bill,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.

“The Congress Working Committee has demanded that the Women’s Reservation Bill must be passed during the Special Session of Parliament,” he said quoting the CWC resolution that was passed at its meeting in Hyderabad this weekend.

Meanwhile, Congress veteran and former union minister P Chidambaram said that if the government introduces the women’s reservation bill in the Parliament in the ongoing session, “it will be a victory for the Congress and its allies in the UPA government”.

“Remember, it was during the UPA government that the Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 9-3-2010. In its 10th year, the BJP is resurrecting the Bill that it had buried in the hope that the clamour for the Bill will die,” Chidambaram said.

“On the contrary, at every opportunity — most recently at the CWC at Hyderabad — the Congress has vociferously pleaded for the Bill to be passed in Parliament. Let’s hope that the Bill will be introduced and passed in the ongoing session,” he added.

The women reservation bill seeks to reserve one-third (33%) of the total number of seats in state legislative assemblies and Parliament for women.