Congress Leader Tharoor Raises Alarms Over Women's Reservation Law Amendments
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday voiced significant concerns regarding the proposed amendments to the women's reservation law, just ahead of a special three-day Parliament session. He emphasized that the move should not undermine federal principles or compromise the effective functioning of Parliament.
Allegations of Political Motives
In a detailed post on social media platform X, Shashi Tharoor alleged that the government is convening the special session primarily to gain a political advantage in the upcoming state elections. He also highlighted that this timing is strategically aligned with a delimitation exercise scheduled before the 2029 general elections.
Sharing images from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held on Friday, Tharoor reiterated the party's longstanding support for a 33% quota for women in legislative bodies. However, he expressed serious reservations about the current government's approach to implementing this reservation.
"While the Congress has always championed the 33% quota, and was the first to introduce a Bill and pass it in the Rajya Sabha in 2013, the current government's approach raises serious alarms," Tharoor stated.
Congress Working Committee Meeting Details
The CWC meeting was specifically convened to finalize the party's official stance on the proposed changes to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The government is expected to introduce bills during the upcoming session to implement the law before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. These bills aim to increase the total number of parliamentary seats to 816, with 273 seats reserved exclusively for women.
Tharoor pointed out that the party strongly objects to what it describes as a lack of consultation with opposition parties. "The CWC condemned the government's unilateral and opaque push for amendments without consulting Opposition parties. The party flagged that rushing a delimitation exercise alongside the bill could have dangerous consequences for the democratic balance of our states, particularly in the South and Northeast," he noted.
Criticism of Implementation Delays and Political Strategy
He further highlighted that several Congress leaders had previously criticized the delay in implementing the women's reservation law until after the Census. "Now, a 'special session' is being used for political mileage ahead of state polls and with an eye on delimitation before the 2029 general election," Tharoor added.
Reiterating the party's firm position, Tharoor declared: "The Indian National Congress remains committed to one-third reservation for women, but it must be inclusive and fair. The Amendment Bill should not be a political tool that undermines federalism and vitiates the vitality of Parliament as a deliberative body."
Congress Accusations and Opposition Strategy
Meanwhile, the Congress party on Friday accused the Government of India of politicizing the women's reservation issue. They claimed that linking the reservation with delimitation is unconstitutional and could lead to serious consequences. The party called for a wider discussion on the matter, preferably after the ongoing assembly elections conclude.
During the CWC meeting, party president Mallikarjun Kharge announced plans to convene a meeting of senior opposition leaders, likely on April 15. This meeting aims to chalk out a joint strategy for the Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18, ensuring a unified opposition response to the proposed amendments.
