New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) The Congress on Sunday termed “drama” Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked bill for implementing women’s reservation, and alleged that his single point agenda is “Modi preservation, not women’s reservation”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh questioned the intentions behind Prime Minister Modi’s appeal and said instead of “sermonising” from the Red Fort, he must implement the quota on the current strength of the Lok Sabha for 2029 polls.
Asked about the PM’s appeal to opposition parties in his Independence Day speech, Ramesh said it is important to understand the chronology, as in 1993, the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Bills were passed, providing one-third reservation for women in panchayats, zilla parishads, block panchayats and municipalities.
It was Rajiv Gandhi who had done the ground work for that and he was instrumental in bringing this provision into the Constitution, Ramesh told PTI.
“In September 2023, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed unanimously. It was Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji who had asserted that the women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies should be implemented immediately,” he said.
Ramesh said the Congress and other opposition parties have repeatedly called for women’s reservation implementation on the 543-member strength of the Lok Sabha which means 182 seats for women be reserved.
Suddenly, at 11 pm on April 16, 2026, while the delimitation issue was being deliberated in Parliament, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was notified.
He said the government was only interested in linking women’s reservation with delimitation.
The government has been attempting to get a “tainted two-thirds majority” but has not succeeded and the Constitution Amendment Bill involving delimitation could not be brought even in the Monsoon Session, he said.
“They don’t have a two-thirds majority and will never get it,” Ramesh said.
Instead of repeatedly “sermonising” from the Red Fort and doing this “drama”, the PM must implement women’s reservation on the current strength of the Lok Sabha from the 2029 general election.
“The PM’s single-point agenda is ‘Modi preservation, not women’s reservation’,” Ramesh said.
His remarks come a day after Modi appealed to the opposition parties to support the delimitation-linked women reservation bill, saying the issue has been stuck in political ‘akhada’ (wrangling) for the last 40 years.
The Constitution amendment bill, brought during the extended Budget Session, sought to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816.
A two-thirds majority was required to pass the proposed legislation in the Lower House. However it was defeated by the opposition parties.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of Independence Day, Modi also said the political parties can take credit for the adoption of the proposed legislation.
“Under the shadow of the national flag, I appeal to all political parties: let’s come together in honour of those women and provide 33 per cent reservation to our mothers and daughters in assemblies and Lok Sabha and ensure their representation, so that they contribute in evolving India’s policies,” he said, adding that it was the need of the hour.
“I urge all political parties to come forward in implementing the women reservation Bill and honour them. They should also take credit for its passage and contribute, but give that right to our women,” he said, calling on the need to venerate women power.
On April 17, during the Budget Session, the Modi government faced a setback as the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in Lok Sabha.
Of the 528 MPs who voted in Lok Sabha, 298 voted in support, while 230 opposed it. The Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority. PTI ASK DV DV
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