Call all-party meeting to discuss implementation of Women’s Reservation Act: Mallikarjun Kharge to Kiren Rijiju

New Delhi: Amid plans to bring a Bill for early implementation of 33 per cent quota for women in in Parliament and Assemblies next week, the government has reached out to the Congress, prompting party chief and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge to demand an all-party meeting to deliberate on ways for its roll-out at the earliest.

The existing Constitutional provisions allow for the roll-out of women's quota only after a delimitation of constituencies following the Census 2027.

However, the government is planning an amendment to the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 or the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', passed in a special session in September 2023, to delink it from the provisions of delimitation so that it could be implemented as early as in 2027 Assembly polls.

Sources indicated that the Bill to amend the Constitution, which is yet to be cleared by the Union Cabinet, is likely to be introduced in Rajya Sabha as early as Monday. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju wrote to Kharge on Tuesday seeking a meeting with him and senior Congress leaders to discuss modalities and roadmap for implementation of the quota regime.

Rijiju told Kharge that the government reiterates its request for a meeting given the significance of its implementation framework and the broad national consensus required for its effective operationalisation, sources said.

Responding to Rijiju's letter, Kharge recalled that the Minister had spoken to him on the issue. He said that he as well as Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh had conveyed the party's view that the government should convene an all-party meeting where a roadmap can be discussed.

"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed unanimously by Parliament in September 2023. 30 months later, the government is, in your own words, 'seeking an opportunity to interact with me and senior members of my party to deliberate upon the modalities and roadmap for implementation of this landmark constitutional amendment'," Kharge said in his letter.

He said an all-Party meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, is convened at the earliest, as it would be in keeping with the best traditions of parliamentary democracy.

Earlier, the government had also reached out to the Samajwadi Party besides the Congress earlier but there was no forward movement. While most of the Opposition parties will insist on an OBC subquota, they are likely to support the amendments even if it comes without their suggestions incorporated.

When the government reached out to them, Opposition parties were not enthusiastic about discussing the contours of changes in the law for 33% women's quota individually with the Modi government and have conveyed their demand for calling an all-party meeting to discuss the issue.

They read the government's reach-out, which they called "selective" in approach, as part of its realisation that it does not have two-third majority either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha for carrying out an amendment to the Constitution to delink the provision for delimitation of constituencies before implementing the quota.