Congress slams PM Modi’s U-turn on women’s quota, seeks apology
The opposition party said the Prime Minister owes an “apology” to the women of India, claiming that he did not accept the Congress’ demand to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, from the 2024 elections itself.
“Actually he owes an apology to the women of India. When the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed by Parliament in 2023 unanimously, the Indian National Congress had demanded its implementation from 2024 itself,” Jairam RameshHe said the proposal was not accepted by the Prime Minister, who made its implementation dependent on the delimitation and census exercises.
“But this was not acceptable to the PM who made the reservation dependent on the delimitation and census exercises that he had failed to conduct and then dithered on for many years,” he said.Ramesh further alleged that the government has now altered its position amid political pressure.
“Claiming that 30 months later, facing defeat in the assembly elections, in spite of the Election Commission functioning as a subordinate office of the Union Home Ministry, the PM has changed his mind,” he said.
He added that the government is now attempting to shift its stand on census and delimitation.
“He wants us to forget the Census and forget the census-based delimitation on the grounds that it will take too long. This is despite the fact that his Census Registrar has clarified that the results will be out by 2027.He also said, “After all, the BJP has no worthwhile narrative on any other issue in these states.”
“This a U turn by the Modi Government, one that exposes its unwillingness to engage with the opposition and its total lack of planning,” he added.
Ramesh said the Prime Minister is already claiming credit for the move.
“There is simply no limit to his hypocrisy and The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed in 2023, provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. However, its implementation is linked to the delimitation exercise based on the 2027 Census.