New Delhi [India], August 8 : Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has hit back at Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi for once again backing away from unconditional support to Women's Reservation Bill and questioning its link to the Delimitation bill. Rijiju in his latest post on X gave strong reasons for why the two bills have been linked by the Union Government.
"Rahul Ji, you know it very well that: 1. The reservation of seats for women in the House of the People and Legislative Assembly of the State is provided in the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam). 2. It shall come into effect:-- (a)After an exercise of delimitation is undertaken, (b)Based on the census figures published after the year 2023, which means the census figures published after the year 2026. 3. The exercise for publishing the census figures after the year 2026 is currently underway; however, this may take substantial time (due to caste based census) to be finally published. In view of this, it may result in considerable delay in the implementation of women reservation, at least not before 2034 General Elections. 4. Therefore, to implement the women reservation at the next general elections in 2029, the delimitation exercise needs to be undertaken at the earliest, based on the latest available Census figures, as published. 5. The implementation methodology has been proposed under the Delimitation Bill 2026, introduced in the Lok Sabha along with the amendments to the Constitution. 6. However, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 which was introduced for this purpose has been defeated," Rijiu said.
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi hit out at Rijiju's challenge for Congress' 'unconditional support' to Women's Reservation Bill, questioning the Centre for linking the implementation of the legislation to the delimitation exercise in the Lok Sabha.
Reiterating the Congress' stance, Rahul Gandhi demanded the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 "without any conditions."
"Mr Rijiju, who would know better than you, as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs--that the Women's Reservation Bill 2023 has already been passed unanimously, with the full support of the Congress. The question is, why has it still not been implemented even after three years, and why do you now want to unnecessarily link it to delimitation? Implement the 2023 law. Without any conditions," Gandhi posted on X.
Kiren Rijiju had challenged the Congress to support the Women's Reservation Bill unconditionally after Rahul Gandhi's call for freedom of expression for women.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in his video had said that the country's politics should be about "making people understand that our country is stunted and incomplete without the expression of women." Rijiju termed it a positive message from Congress.
"This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There's a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women. Now, I hope the Congress Party will support the Women's Reservation Bill unconditionally," the Union Minister posted on X.
While the Congress and the opposition parties have expressed support for the women's reservation bill, they have opposed the delimitation exercise, seeking to increase the number of seats in the Lower House of Parliament. The Opposition has demanded delinking of women's reservation from the delimitation exercise.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed in both Houses of Parliament, but failed to move ahead with implementation after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill fell in the Lok Sabha on April 17, not being able to receive the constitutionally required two-thirds majority of members present and voting. The Bill proposed the implementation of the 33 per cent women's reservation in legislatures and delimitation in the Lok Sabha.