Recalling a post-session interaction, Rijiju said that after the parliamentary proceedings concluded, he and Tharoor had a brief exchange in the hall while taking a photograph. According to the minister, Tharoor responded to his comment by indicating that no one would consider him opposed to women, to which Rijiju replied that no one would label him as part of an opposition to women.
The minister sharply criticised opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party, for voting against the bill in the Lok Sabha. He questioned how any political party could oppose legislation aimed at enhancing women’s representation, stating that such a move would invite strong public backlash. Rijiju asserted that these parties would have to face the anger of women voters and insisted that the issue should not be politicised.
Addressing objections raised by opposition leaders, Rijiju rejected claims that the bill unfairly linked women’s reservation to delimitation. He stated that the 2023 law clearly provides that delimitation will occur after the 2026 census, following which the reservation provisions would be implemented. He questioned why this linkage had not been opposed earlier when the law was enacted.
The minister also dismissed concerns about the potential impact on southern states, emphasising that the government had clarified that the number of parliamentary seats would increase uniformly across all states, along with the implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women.
Responding to demands that women’s reservation be implemented within the current strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats, Rijiju argued that the existing system is outdated. He pointed out that parliamentary seats are still based on the 1971 population, leading to constituencies with as many as three to four million voters. He questioned whether such disparities align with democratic principles, noting that population-to-seat ratios in India are significantly higher than in many other countries.
The Constitution Amendment Bill was put to vote in the Lok Sabha on April 17, where 298 members voted in favour while 230 opposed it, resulting in its defeat due to the lack of the required two-thirds majority. Following the setback, the government announced that it would not proceed with two additional linked bills. These proposals aimed to expand the Lok Sabha’s strength from 543 to 816 seats and introduce 33 per cent reservation for women, alongside delimitation based on the 2011 census.
The defeat of the bill marks a significant moment in India’s legislative process, underscoring deep political divisions over electoral reforms and women’s representation, while raising questions about the future course of such structural changes in the country’s democratic framework.
About The Author
Comment List