Kiren Rijiju, Rahul Gandhi Spar on X Over Women's Reservation Bill, Delimitation Link

Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi exchanged sharp remarks with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on social media platform X on Saturday over the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures and its connection to delimitation. The discussion began after Rijiju responded to a video in which Gandhi spoke about the barriers preventing women from fully expressing their potential in India.

In the video, recorded during an “Ask Me Anything” session, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women remained restricted and argued that a country could not succeed unless women were free to express themselves and pursue their aspirations. He said India remained incomplete without women’s participation and suggested that enabling such participation should be an important objective of politics.

Rijiju reposted the video and described Gandhi’s remarks as a positive message from the Congress. He claimed the comments indicated a “visible change of heart” in Gandhi’s position on women and expressed hope that the Congress would support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally. His remarks suggested that the opposition party had previously been reluctant to extend complete support to the measure.

Also Read: Tamil Nadu to Pass Assembly Resolution Against Delimitation After All-Party Meet

Gandhi responded by pointing out that Parliament had already passed the women’s reservation legislation in 2023 with the Congress’s full support. He questioned why the measure had not been implemented three years after its passage. Addressing Rijiju directly, Gandhi said the Parliamentary Affairs Minister should be aware of the law’s legislative history and the unanimous support it received.

The Congress leader also challenged the BJP-led government’s decision to connect the implementation of women’s reservation with delimitation. Gandhi questioned why the two matters were being linked and called on the government to enforce the 2023 law without additional conditions. His response shifted the exchange from the principle of reserving seats for women to the timing and mechanism of its implementation.

The legislation provides for reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. Its implementation is linked to a delimitation exercise conducted after the relevant census process, making the timeline a continuing subject of political debate. The exchange between Gandhi and Rijiju highlighted the disagreement between the government and the opposition over whether women’s reservation should remain dependent on that process.

Also Read: Zepto Agent Dragged, Beaten In Bengaluru After Alleged Argument Over Hindi