Parliament – Congress Criticises Delay in Women’s Reservation Implementation Move
Parliament – The Congress party has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of deliberately slowing down the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures by linking it to the process of delimitation. The opposition has reiterated that the demand for reserving seats for women has been pending for years and should be executed without further procedural delays.
Congress Points to Earlier Appeals for Immediate Action
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh highlighted that the party had consistently pushed for the swift enactment of women’s reservation. He referred to a letter written by Rahul Gandhi in July 2018, during his tenure as Congress president, urging the Prime Minister to ensure the bill’s passage at the earliest. According to Ramesh, despite repeated appeals over the years, no concrete steps have been taken to implement the proposal.
The 2018 letter underlined that the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been approved by the Rajya Sabha in March 2010 but remained stalled in the Lok Sabha for several years. It also recalled that the bill had received bipartisan backing at the time, including support from leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Call for Political Consensus on Women’s Representation
In his communication, Rahul Gandhi had urged the Prime Minister to demonstrate commitment to women’s empowerment by supporting the bill without conditions. He stressed that increasing women’s participation in governance was essential for strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring fair representation.
The letter also emphasized the need for political unity on the issue, stating that women remain significantly underrepresented in legislative bodies. It called on all parties to move beyond political differences and take a collective stand to address this imbalance.
Sonia Gandhi’s Earlier Letter Recalled
Jairam Ramesh also shared details of a 2017 letter written by Sonia Gandhi to the Prime Minister. In that communication, she had requested the government to facilitate the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha.
She had pointed out that the Congress had historically supported women’s political participation, recalling the introduction of reservations for women in local bodies through constitutional amendments in the early 1990s. These measures, she noted, had significantly improved representation at the grassroots level.
Debate Intensifies Over Linking Reservation With Delimitation
The Congress has strongly objected to the government’s approach of tying women’s reservation to delimitation, arguing that such a linkage only postpones implementation. Party leaders have maintained that the reservation can be introduced based on the current strength of the Lok Sabha without waiting for seat reallocation exercises.
The issue gained further attention after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which proposed expanding Lok Sabha seats and implementing women’s reservation, failed to secure the required majority in the Lower House. While 298 members supported the bill, 230 voted against it, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage.
Proposal to Expand Seats and Introduce Quota
The proposed legislation aimed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to facilitate a 33 percent reservation for women ahead of the 2029 general elections. It also included plans to expand seats in state assemblies and Union territories.
According to the proposal, these changes would be implemented following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. However, critics argue that linking reservation to such processes delays a long-pending reform that could otherwise be enacted sooner.
Opposition Demands Immediate Implementation
The Congress has called on the government to bring a fresh bill in the upcoming parliamentary session and implement women’s reservation using the existing framework. Party leaders insist that the focus should remain on increasing women’s participation in governance rather than introducing conditions that could postpone the reform.
As the debate continues, the issue of women’s representation remains a central topic in India’s political discourse, with both sides presenting differing approaches to achieving the same goal.