Citing old letters written by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress on Tuesday alleged that the government is delaying the implementation of women’s reservation by linking it to delimitation.
New Delhi: The political controversy over the long pending Women’s Reservation Bill in India has once again intensified. The opposition party Indian National Congress has accused the Central Government of deliberately delaying the implementation of this important bill and trying to avoid it by linking it to delimitation. Congress says that this issue is related to the political empowerment of women, but the government is pushing it unnecessarily.
Congress’s allegation: “Delay on the pretext of delimitation”
Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh made a scathing attack on the Central Government while posting on the social media platform X. He said that efforts are being made to postpone its implementation by linking women’s reservation with delimitation. Ramesh claimed that this stance is slowing down the process of increasing women’s representation, while this reform has been demanded for a long time in the country.
The Congress has also referred to old letters written by the party leadership to strengthen its allegations. Ramesh told that in the year 2018, the then Congress President Rahul Gandhi had written a letter to the Prime Minister demanding immediate passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill. It was said in this letter that this bill should be given unconditional support in the monsoon session of Parliament so that it can be implemented on time.
“Women should get proper representation in Parliament” – Congress
Citing Rahul Gandhi’s letter, Congress said that women need to be given more representation in public life and politics. The letter also stated that:
- Women should get due place in Parliament and State Assemblies
- A decision on this issue should be taken rising above party politics.
- Any delay will affect the political empowerment of women
Congress says this approach has been part of the party’s long-term policy.
Sonia Gandhi’s letter also mentioned
The Congress also referred to a letter written by then party president Sonia Gandhi to the Prime Minister in 2017. The party says that even at that time strong support was expressed for women’s reservation. According to Jairam Ramesh, the stand of Congress has always been clear and stable and the party has been continuously demanding the early implementation of this bill.
Congress alleged that the central government has been inactive on this issue and now a new condition has been created by linking it to delimitation. The party said that this is causing unnecessary delay in the implementation of women’s reservation, which is not appropriate from the point of view of democratic representation.
Allegation of “political agenda, not women’s reservation”
Even before this, Congress had accused the Central Government that its priority regarding women’s reservation is not clear. The party claims that the real agenda of the government is to maintain political control rather than empowering women. The Women’s Reservation Bill is a long-pending reform in Indian politics, which aims to ensure a fixed percentage of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures. Proponents believe that this will:
- Women’s political participation will increase
- There will be diversity in policy making
- Social equality will be promoted
The debate between the government and the opposition regarding women’s reservation is continuously increasing. While Congress is demanding its immediate implementation, the government is linking it to delimitation and constitutional processes.
Comments are closed.