Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday raised concerns over the proposed amendments to the women’s reservation law ahead of a special three-day Parliament session, saying the move should not weaken federal principles or affect the functioning of Parliament.In a post on X, Shashi Tharoor alleged that the government was calling the special session to gain political advantage ahead of upcoming state elections, while also keeping in view a delimitation exercise before the 2029 general elections.
Sharing pictures from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting held on Friday, Tharoor said the party has consistently supported a 33% quota for women but expressed reservations about the current approach.“While the Congress has always championed the 33% quota, and the first to introduce a Bill and pass it in the Rajya Sabha in 2013, the current government’s approach raises serious alarms.”The CWC meeting was held to finalise the party’s stand on the proposed changes to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The government is expected to introduce bills during the upcoming session to implement the law before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and increase the total number of seats to 816, including 273 reserved for women.Tharoor said the party objected to what it described as a lack of consultation with opposition parties.“The CWC condemned the government’s unilateral and opaque push for amendments without consulting Opposition parties. The party flagged that rushing a delimitation exercise alongside the bill could have dangerous consequences for the democratic balance of our states, particularly in the South and Northeast,” he noted.He also pointed out that several Congress leaders had earlier criticised the delay in implementing the law until after the Census.“Now, a ‘special session’ is being used for political mileage ahead of state polls and with an eye on delimitation before the 2029 general election.”Reiterating the party’s position, Tharoor said: “The Indian National Congress remains committed to one-third reservation for women, but it must be inclusive and fair. The Amendment Bill should not be a political tool that undermines federalism and vitiates the vitality of Parliament as a deliberative body,” he said.Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday accused the Government of India of politicising the women’s reservation issue and claimed that linking it with delimitation was unconstitutional and could have serious consequences, calling for wider discussion after the ongoing assembly elections.During the CWC meeting, party president Mallikarjun Kharge said he would convene a meeting of senior opposition leaders, likely on April 15, to chalk out a joint strategy for the Parliament session scheduled from April 16 to 18.
