The Congress party on Tuesday renewed its attack on the Centre over the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that the Narendra Modi government has delayed its implementation despite repeated demands from the Opposition and assurances made in the past. The party also cited past correspondence from senior leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to highlight its longstanding position on the issue.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said that Sonia Gandhi, in her capacity as then Congress president, had written to the Prime Minister on September 20, 2017, urging the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill. He argued that the party’s stance has remained consistent over the years, while accusing the government of “sleeping on the demand” and attempting to delay the legislation by linking it to delimitation-related concerns.

Ramesh also shared a letter written by Rahul Gandhi on July 16, 2018, in which the former Congress president urged the Prime Minister to ensure the passage of the bill during the monsoon session of Parliament. In that letter, Rahul Gandhi had appealed for the government’s “unconditional support” to advance women’s representation in legislative bodies and had referenced public support for the measure, including millions of signatures collected by the Congress party.

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The Congress leader said the letters demonstrate that the party has consistently supported the women’s quota legislation, countering what he described as attempts by the ruling party to shift responsibility for delays. He further alleged that the government has sought to link the bill’s implementation to delimitation exercises, which he claimed amounts to postponing its enforcement. According to Ramesh, the issue has remained unresolved for years despite repeated assurances and public commitments, and he accused the Prime Minister of failing to act on what he described as a widely supported demand for increasing women’s participation in politics.

The controversy comes amid renewed political debate following recent parliamentary discussions on constitutional amendments related to women’s reservation. The Congress has maintained that it supports the bill in principle but has raised objections to certain provisions introduced alongside it, particularly those linked to constituency delimitation.

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