Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday described the proposal to reserve one-third of seats in legislatures for women as the most significant reform of the 21st century, asserting that the move was being fast-tracked in line with the Opposition’s demands.
Speaking at a women’s conference, Modi sought to build a favourable narrative ahead of the three-day special session of Parliament from April 16 to 18, convened to amend the 2023 women’s reservation law.
The government’s move has drawn criticism from Opposition parties, which have accused it of rushing the process to gain political mileage in the forthcoming Assembly elections.
Recalling the unanimous passage of the legislation in 2023, Modi said all political parties had then agreed on implementing the quota by 2029.
“In 2023, when the bill was introduced, all political parties passed it with a consensus. And then in one voice it was decided that it should be implemented by 2029…. Keeping that timeline in mind, the government decided to take what the Opposition had said seriously," he said.
Modi maintained that the government had undertaken extensive consultations with constitutional experts to ensure timely implementation, stressing that the move was driven by social justice. He expressed confidence that Parliament would once again rise above differences to pass the amendments.
"This decision is dedicated to women’s power. Our Parliament is close to creating new history,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister's remarks came amid sharp criticism from Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who, in an article, termed the government’s urgency an “assault on the Constitution” and called for an all-party meeting.
She alleged that the special session, coinciding with election campaigns in Tamil Nadu and Bengal, was aimed at putting the Opposition on the defensive.
The Centre had enacted the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023, providing for one-third reservation for women in legislatures. However, the law stipulated that the quota would come into effect only after the next census and subsequent delimitation of constituencies.
With many raising concern that the delimitation process could get delayed as the 2026 census has started only on April 1, the government is considering amendments to enable delimitation based on the 2011 census, allowing implementation of the quota in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
In her article, Sonia questioned the shift in the government’s position, noting that in 2023 it had rejected the Opposition’s demand for implementation in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
She also criticised the Centre for rejecting repeated requests for an all-party meeting after the Assembly polls, accusing Modi of adopting a unilateral approach.
“Now, we are given to understand that Article 334-A will be amended to make women's reservation applicable from 2029 itself. Why did it take the Prime Minister 30 months to make his U-turn? And why can he not wait a few weeks to convene the special session?” Sonia asked, stressing the need for an all-party meeting.
“But that perfectly reasonable request (for an all-party meeting) has been turned down. Instead, the Prime Minister has resorted to writing op-eds, making appeals to political parties, and organising sammelans. It is an underhand tactic that reflects the Prime Minister's one-upmanship and his 'my way or the highway’ approach to decision-making,” she added.