Congress questions Modi government’s ‘U-turn’ on women’s reservation, seeks apology

The Congress on Friday questioned the Narendra Modi government’s “U-turn” on implementing the law on women’s reservation in Parliament, and said that the prime minister “owes an apology to the women of India”.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh made the remarks a day after Modi said that the proposed amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act reflect the aspirations of the country’s women and urged MPs across party lines to support the move.

In 2023, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides for 33% women’s reservation in Parliament and state Assemblies, was passed in Parliament. However, its implementation was linked to delimitation – the process of redrawing boundaries of electoral constituencies – based on the 2027 Census.

This would likely mean that the women’s quota would only be implemented in 2034, as the delimitation based on the 2027 Census may not be completed before the 2029 Lok Sabha election.

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet approved a draft amendment bill that would increased the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from 543, PTI reported. Out of these, 273 seats, or about one-third, are proposed to be reserved for women.

A special three-day sitting of Parliament is expected to be held from April 16 to April 18, when the amendment bill will be discussed.

On Friday, Ramesh claimed that Modi had “changed...

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