Rahul hits back at Rijiju, asks why Women’s Reservation Bill is linked to delimitation

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (August 8) shot back at Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju over his appeal to Congress to “unconditionally” support the Women’s Reservation Bill, asking why the Centre was linking the Bill with the delimitation exercise for Lok Sabha seats.

Rahul questions delimitation link

Rahul, in a post on X, asked the Union Minister why he wants to “unnecessarily link” the Women’s Reservation Bill to delimitation, adding that the Bill has already been passed unanimously in Parliament with Congress support.

Also Read: Inside the delimitation battle: What Centre wants and why Opposition is resisting

"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,” stated Rahul.

“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," he added.

Rijiju’s appeal to Congress

The response comes in the wake of Rijiju’s appeal to the Congress, earlier in the day, to support the Women’s Reservation Bill “unconditionally”. He made the remarks following Rahul’s appeal in a video message for freedom of expression for women. Rahul had said that politics in the country should be about "making people understand that our country is stunted and incomplete without the expression of women."

Also Read: ‘Women’s reservation shouldn’t be tied to delimitation’ I Interview

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 stated in a post on X.

Opposition’s stand on women’s reservation

Congress and other opposition parties have backed the women's reservation law while continuing to resist the proposed delimitation exercise aimed at expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha.

Also Read: Women's reservation is finally coming, but the formula carries its own tension

Opposition leaders have repeatedly called for women's reservation to be implemented independently of delimitation.

Constitutional hurdle

Although the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 secured approval in both Houses of Parliament, the process stalled after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17.

The measure did not obtain the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority of members present and voting. The proposed amendment sought to bring into effect 33 per cent reservation for women in legislative bodies and to carry out delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies.