The Congress on Saturday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks on women's reservation in his Independence Day address, accusing the BJP-led government of making a "dishonest pitch" on the issue. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh alleged that the government had delayed implementation of the women's reservation law despite Parliament passing the legislation in 2023. Ramesh said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed unanimously by Parliament in September 2023.

However, he alleged that the law was deliberately not implemented for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress leader argued that the government's decision to defer the implementation undermined the significance of Modi's renewed emphasis on women's political representation during his address from the Red Fort. "The PM made a dishonest pitch for women's reservation in his address at the Red Fort today," Ramesh said in a post on X. He alleged that the Modi government had ensured that the legislation would not take effect from the 2024 general election, describing the government's position as "double-faced hypocrisy".

His remarks represented the Congress's latest criticism of the BJP government's handling of the women's quota legislation. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam provides for reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women. Its implementation, however, is linked to the completion of a census and a subsequent delimitation exercise. This means the reservation is not immediately applicable to elections following the passage of the legislation and depends on the completion of the prescribed constitutional and administrative processes.

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Modi referred to women's representation and empowerment during his Independence Day address as part of his broader emphasis on India's development and the role of women in the country's progress. The Prime Minister has repeatedly highlighted women's participation in governance, the economy and other sectors as an important component of the government's development agenda. The Congress, however, has consistently questioned the timeline for implementing the women's reservation law and has demanded faster action. Opposition parties have previously argued that women should receive the promised representation at the earliest possible opportunity rather than waiting for the completion of the census and delimitation process.

Ramesh's criticism adds a political dimension to Modi's Independence Day remarks, with the Congress seeking to challenge the government's claims on women's empowerment and political representation. While the law has already been passed by Parliament, its implementation remains dependent on the constitutional process involving the census and delimitation. The latest exchange reflects the continuing disagreement between the government and the Opposition over the timeline and implementation of the women's reservation framework.

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