New Delhi, April 17 (IANS) Neeraj Shekhar, son of former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, on Friday expressed gratitude to people across the country for remembering his father on his 100th birth anniversary.

Speaking to reporters, Neeraj Shekhar said, “Our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath have great respect for my father. I am grateful to everyone who remembered him today. They consider him a true ‘Jan Nayak’. I would also urge the youth to read about such a leader and try to follow his path.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar on the occasion of his 100th birth anniversary, describing him as a mass leader known for his courage, conviction, and deep commitment to democratic values.

Taking to the social media platform X, the Prime Minister said, "Tributes to former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar Ji on his birth anniversary. This year marks the start of his 100th birth anniversary and is a time to reiterate our commitment to realising his vision for a prosperous and just India."

Neeraj Shekhar also commented on the Women’s Reservation Bill, stating that the government fully supports greater representation for women.

“Our Prime Minister and Home Minister have clearly stated that we want 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies. This is their right. We are not opposing it - this is the rightful claim of our Nari Shakti, and they should receive this representation,” he said.

Meanwhile, voting in the Lok Sabha on three key bills aimed at amending the women’s reservation law and establishing a delimitation commission is scheduled to take place on Friday.

The introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to enable women’s reservation and facilitate delimitation, was approved in the Lok Sabha on Thursday following a division of votes.

Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal said that Lok Sabha seats across all states would be increased by 50 per cent as part of the exercise to implement the women’s quota along with the delimitation process.

If the Bill is passed, the number of seats in several states will rise significantly. Uttar Pradesh is expected to have 120 seats, Tamil Nadu 59, West Bengal 63, Kerala 30, and Gujarat 39.

--IANS

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