BJP targets Congress over ‘roadblocks’ to women’s quota, calls Parliament session a ‘test’ for Opposition

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of creating roadblocks in the implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

This came after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge conveyed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it would be "impossible" to have any useful discussion on the women's quota law without details of delimitation and other aspects, and demanded that an all-party meeting be called on the matter after the current round of state polls gets over on April 29.

Reacting to Kharge's letter to the PM, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, "16th, 17th and 18th of April will see a historic moment in Parliament where the biggest step for women's empowerment and equality will be taken by the fast tracking of the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, passed by Parliament under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023."

"At that time too, and even now, the consensus is that we must not delay this historic move, which has already been delayed for decades. And we must immediately implement it so that women get their fair share from the next Lok Sabha election in 2029," Poonawalla said in a video statement.

But, unfortunately, the party, which coins catchy slogans like 'Ladki Hoon, Lad Sakti Hoon' and says that it stands for women's rights and empowerment, is standing on the side of roadblock and not reform, the BJP spokesperson said, alluding to the Congress.

"They are always seen on the wrong side of reform. They are on the side of roadblock, not reform. They are on the side of disruption, not discussion and deliberation. They are on the side of confrontation, not consensus.

"They create excuses but they don't want to be part of this great reform process," Poonawalla charged.

The government has extended the Budget session of Parliament and a three-day sitting will be held from April 16 to 18 during which the proposed amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women's Reservation Act, are expected to be brought for consideration and passage.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared a draft bill for the amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam on Wednesday.

Ahead of the three-day extended sitting of Parliament, Modi wrote to the floor leaders of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, saying it is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha and assembly elections are conducted with women's reservation in place and asked all political parties to come together in one voice to pass the amendments to the women's reservation law.

In his response to Modi's letter, Kharge said that calling Parliament's sitting amid state polls reinforces the belief that the government is hurrying the implementation of the women's reservation law for "political mileage".

The leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha reiterated the demand that an all-party meeting be called after April 29 to discuss the delimitation issue, which is being linked to the amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.

Poonawalla said the upcoming sitting of Parliament will be a "test" for the Congress and other opposition parties that will determine whether they pay "lip service to the great cause of women empowerment" or actually mean it.

"It is up to them to decide whether they want to be participants in this reform or be a roadblock. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has consistently reached out to all parties," he said.

"Everyone must support this (proposed amendments to the Women's Reservation Act) because the entire world and the women of the country are watching," the BJP spokesperson said.