New Delhi, August 29: Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal stated that the implementation of the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’ is under active consideration. This has led to sharp criticism from opposition parties, who labeled it as an election drama.
Opposition leaders expressed their support for the implementation of the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, based on the current Lok Sabha’s 543 seats. However, they insisted that it should not be contingent upon delimitation.
The controversy erupted when Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inquiring whether the government plans to convene a special session of Parliament to pass the proposed delimitation bill.
Kharge reiterated this demand after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hinted at a special session during a television interview.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant accused the BJP of lying. He questioned, “When was the Women’s Reservation Bill passed? In 2023. Today, Gen Z stands against such lies. Women have understood the truth. The BJP stands on falsehoods.”
Sawant reminded that the Women’s Reservation Bill was passed in 2023 with the support of all opposition parties. He added, “If the government genuinely wants to provide reservation, it can do so based on the existing 543 seats.”
He also noted that there is insufficient time for all MPs to speak in the current Lok Sabha. He alleged that the entire drama is being staged ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.
Pappu Yadav, MP from Purnia, also criticized the central government. He stated, “The government’s thinking towards women and the poor is distorted. They do not want women from poor, backward, and middle-class backgrounds to advance in politics. They have no faith in Baba Saheb Ambedkar’s Constitution and disregard the opposition’s consensus. Their only concern is the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.”
Odisha Congress leader Arvind Das pointed out that the Women’s Reservation Bill has already been passed by Parliament but remains unimplemented. He argued that if it were merely about the Women’s Reservation Law, the situation would be different. The government wants to link it to delimitation, attempting to do what it could not achieve in the last session by calling a special session now. The government consistently tries to sidestep constitutional traditions.
CPI leader Annie Raja emphasized that the Women’s Reservation Bill has become law, but the real issue is its implementation. Women are being misled by linking it to two conditions: census and delimitation. The law is structured in such a way that it cannot be enforced until the census and delimitation processes are completed.
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