Sonal Chauhan Voices Support for Women's Reservation Bill During Spiritual Visit
Bollywood actress Sonal Chauhan, known for her role in 'Jannat', publicly endorsed the Women's Reservation Bill on Thursday, describing it as an "important initiative" by the government. Her comments came following a spiritual visit to the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, where she participated in the Bhasm Aarti and offered prayers to Lord Shiva while clad in a white suit.
Actress Praises Women's Role in National Development
After her temple visit, Chauhan spoke to media about the proposed legislation, stating: "I support it... Our nation is developing and I feel very happy to see that women are also playing a big role in that." She emphasized her belief in women's power, adding: "I believe that women are very powerful, and I am very happy that such an important initiative is being taken. Our country is progressing day by day, and it makes me very happy that something like this is being done for women, who are worshipped in our country."
Parliament Special Session and Political Context
Chauhan's remarks coincided with the beginning of a special Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18, where the Women's Reservation Bill is expected to be a central focus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the session as a "historic step" toward women's empowerment, posting on social media platform X: "Starting today, in the special session of Parliament, our country is all set to take a historic step towards women's empowerment. The respect for our mothers and sisters is the respect for the nation, and with this very spirit, we are moving forward resolutely in this direction."
Opposition Criticism and Delimitation Concerns
However, the proposal has faced significant opposition criticism. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stated that while his party supports women's reservation, they will not allow what he called an "anti-national" move by the NDA government to reduce representation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Dalit, and Adivasi communities. In a detailed post on X, Gandhi outlined several conditions:
- Delimitation must be based on the 2026 Census, which is currently underway
- Caste census data must be considered before implementing any legislation
- The government should implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in 2023
Gandhi accused the government of attempting a "power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering" and stated: "We will not allow 'Hissa Chori' from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities by ignoring the caste census data. We will also not allow Southern, North Eastern, North Western and smaller states to be treated unfairly."
Government Plans and Implementation Timeline
The government plans to implement women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections through:
- An amendment to the 2023 Act
- A constitutional amendment to delink delimitation from the 2027 census
- Increasing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 (815 for states, 35 for Union Territories)
Growing Opposition and State-Level Protests
Opposition to the delimitation bill has been mounting, particularly after the Centre approved draft amendment bills to operationalize the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023. Critics have objected to the timing of the special Parliament session during election season. In a dramatic protest, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin burned a copy of the proposed delimitation bill and raised a black flag to launch statewide anti-delimitation agitation. The bill's implementation is tied to population-based constituency revision using 2011 census data, which has become a major point of contention.
The political debate surrounding the Women's Reservation Bill continues to intensify as Parliament convenes for its special session, with supporters like Sonal Chauhan celebrating its potential for women's empowerment while opposition leaders raise substantive concerns about implementation details and representation equity.
