Congress and CPI-M leaders clarified that they support the Women’s Reservation Bill but criticized the government for delaying its implementation. They highlighted that the Bill, passed unanimously in 2023, has not been put into effect. Congress MP Jebi Mather expressed that the current delay is not truly about women’s empowerment.
Opposition leaders emphasized that the government could have implemented 33% reservation for women in the existing Lok Sabha seats without waiting for future processes. Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy reiterated that the Opposition has consistently backed the Bill. He pointed out that the government’s decision to link the Bill to the census has caused a delay in its enforcement.
Congress MP Hibi Eden reaffirmed the party’s support for the Women’s Reservation Bill, emphasizing the need for broader consultation on the matter. He stressed the importance of consensus with Opposition parties for significant changes like delimitation. CPI-M MP John Brittas demanded the immediate implementation of one-third reservation for women in the current Lok Sabha and state Assemblies.
Leaders from the ruling alliance dismissed the Opposition’s criticism, defending the delimitation process as routine. JD-U MP Sanjay Kumar Jha argued that delimitation is a regular exercise and accused the Opposition of opposing women’s reservation under the guise of criticizing the process. BJP MP Manan Kumar Mishra rejected the Opposition’s claims, stating that delimitation is necessary with population growth.
