Congress Spokesperson Demands Immediate Implementation of Women's Reservation Bill
Nagpur: All India Congress Committee national spokesperson Avani Bansal issued a strong demand on Tuesday for the immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill. She directly accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of employing delimitation as a deliberate roadblock to delay granting women their rightful share in legislative bodies across India.
Questioning Implementation Delays and RSS Structure
Bansal, speaking as part of a nationwide AICC communications campaign running simultaneously across 27 constituencies, highlighted that the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in 2023 with full support from the Congress party and the entire opposition. Despite this parliamentary approval, the landmark legislation remains unimplemented on the ground.
"If the BJP is genuinely serious about women's empowerment and gender equality in politics, this law must be implemented immediately on the existing 543 parliamentary seats," Bansal asserted. "There is absolutely no constitutional or practical need to wait for the delimitation process to conclude."
In a pointed remark aimed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bansal questioned why the organization — which has its headquarters in Nagpur — has never included any women in its main decision-making body or core organizational structure throughout its history.
Allegations of Deliberate Constitutional Complexity
The Congress spokesperson critically examined the government's decision to link implementation of women's reservation to the delimitation exercise. She characterized this linkage as an unnecessary constitutional complexity that requires updated census data and comprehensive stakeholder consultation — neither of which the BJP government has undertaken with genuine seriousness, according to her assessment.
Bansal further alleged that the BJP has deliberately delayed the 2021 census by approximately six years, expressing suspicion that the real underlying motive behind this postponement is to avoid extending reservation benefits to women from Other Backward Classes. The Congress party's consistent demand has been that women from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC communities all receive their fair one-third reservation within the overall women's quota framework.
Challenging BJP's Record on Women's Rights
Bansal directly challenged the BJP's credentials on women's rights and safety issues, asking where the party stood during several high-profile cases involving women. She specifically referenced the Hathras case and highlighted when women wrestlers took to the streets demanding action against a ruling party leader accused of misconduct.
"The government appears to operate on a 'meri marzi' (my wish) principle rather than following established democratic processes and constitutional mandates," Bansal commented during her address.
She also questioned the purpose of the special Parliament session called earlier this month, alleging it amounted to mere political theatrics rather than substantive legislative action. The Congress communication campaign across multiple constituencies aims to keep pressure on the government regarding women's political representation and other democratic issues facing the nation.
