Haryana Opposition Leader Hooda Slams BJP Over Women's Reservation Delays
In a strongly worded press conference held in Rohtak on Wednesday, Haryana's Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government. Hooda accused the ruling party of employing double standards and deliberate obstruction when it comes to the crucial issue of women's reservation in legislative bodies.
Congress's "Long-Standing Commitment" vs. BJP's "Political Games"
Hooda emphatically stated that providing reservation for women has been a long-standing commitment of the Indian National Congress party. "In stark contrast, the BJP government has systematically stalled this progressive initiative purely for narrow political gains and is now attempting to confuse the public with misleading narratives," he declared. The senior Congress leader highlighted that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, formally known as the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, was successfully passed by Parliament in September 2023 and subsequently received the President's assent.
Accusations of Deliberate Delay and Legislative Maneuvering
Despite the law being on the statute books for over three years, Hooda alleged that the BJP has consistently failed to implement it, demonstrating a clear lack of genuine intention. "The central government only notified the 2023 legislation late at night on April 16, just one day before the Lok Sabha was scheduled to vote on the 2026 amendment. This timing was clearly strategic and insincere," he charged.
Furthermore, Hooda accused the government of introducing a delimitation bill in Parliament with the specific objective of further delaying women's reservation. "Without even conducting a mandatory census, the government cunningly attached the women's reservation clause to this delimitation bill. This was a transparent ploy to postpone meaningful action, and the entire opposition, along with the nation, saw through this deceptive tactic," he explained. The opposition is now united in demanding that the bill be implemented in its original 2023 form without any further excuses or delays.
Highlighting Congress's Historical Role in Women's Empowerment
To underscore his party's legacy on this issue, Hooda pointed to the provision of 33% reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions, which he credited as a landmark achievement of the Congress. "This transformative policy was introduced under the visionary leadership of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through the historic 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. It laid the foundation for women's political participation at the grassroots level," he added, contrasting this with what he described as the BJP's current inaction and obstructionism at the national level.
