Congress accuses Modi government of U-turn on women’s reservation law

The Congress on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of reversing its stance on the implementation of the women’s reservation law, alleging the move is intended to deflect attention from governance failures and foreign policy setbacks.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi owed an apology to women, arguing that the government had earlier refused to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam from the 2024 general elections.

According to Ramesh, when Parliament passed the legislation unanimously in 2023, the opposition had pushed for its immediate rollout. However, the government linked its implementation to the completion of the Census and a subsequent delimitation exercise, processes that have yet to be carried out.

He alleged that the government has now shifted its position, suggesting that it is willing to move ahead without waiting for those exercises. Ramesh claimed this change in approach was driven by political considerations, particularly with assembly elections approaching in key states.

“The government now wants people to ignore the Census and delimitation requirements, despite earlier insisting on them,” he said, adding that the revised narrative lacked consistency and planning.

The Congress leader further accused the prime minister of attempting to claim credit for the shift, calling it an effort to mask broader shortcomings in governance.

The remarks come a day after Modi emphasised the importance of advancing women’s political representation, describing the proposed amendments to the law as a reflection of the aspirations of millions of women. In a signed article, he urged lawmakers across party lines to support the initiative, stating that empowering women is central to India’s progress.

The government has convened a special three-day sitting of Parliament from 16 to 18 April to deliberate on amendments that would enable the implementation of the law ahead of the 2029 general elections.

The legislation, passed through a constitutional amendment in 2023, provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. However, under the current framework, it is tied to the completion of delimitation based on Census data, which could delay its enforcement until 2034.

Officials now propose advancing its implementation timeline by redrawing constituencies using data from the 2011 Census instead of waiting for the next Census cycle. This would also involve expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 seats to a projected 816, with 273 seats reserved for women.

The reservation system is expected to include provisions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on a proportional basis.

The debate over the proposed changes is likely to intensify in the coming days, as both the government and opposition position themselves ahead of crucial electoral contests.

With PTI inputs