BJP MP Thakur slams Cong, oppn for 'betraying women' on Reservation Bill amendment

Bengaluru

BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Sunday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of "betraying women" by opposing the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, alleging that they had repeatedly blocked efforts to ensure reservation for women in legislatures. Addressing a press conference, the former union minister said the opposition had "historically failed" to support women's empowerment and was attempting to mislead the public on the issue. "Congress, TMC, DMK, and the Samajwadi Party have strangled women's reservation for the fifth time. Shame on them," he said, alleging that opposition parties had consistently obstructed the legislation.

Thakur claimed that while the Bill had earlier received support due to political compulsions, the opposition's "real intent" had been exposed. "Those who never stood by women are now pretending to be their champions," he claimed. Referring to the parliamentary debate, he cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi as having appealed for bipartisan support, saying, "I am willing to give you all the credit. You can claim that you have done it, but please do it for the women of the country."

He also rejected concerns raised by opposition parties regarding the impact of delimitation on southern states, asserting that there would be no loss of representation. "My dear friends, there is no loss-only gain," he said, adding that states such as Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh would see an increase in seats, along with enhanced representation for women, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes. The BJP leader further alleged that opposition parties were attempting to create divisions on regional and social lines to stall the Bill. "Giving a share in policymaking is not a favour to Indian women-it is their natural right," he said.

Tracing the history of the Women's Reservation Bill, Thakur said multiple attempts between 1996 and 2010 had failed due to a lack of sufficient political consensus, despite the Bill being passed in the Rajya Sabha during the UPA regime. He maintained that the current framework, including a census and delimitation under constitutional provisions, was necessary for implementing the proposed 33 per cent reservation. Reiterating the party's stand, Thakur said the BJP remained committed to ensuring women's representation in legislatures and accused opposition parties of delaying what he described as a long-pending right.

In a major setback to the BJP-led Central government, a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029, along with increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, was defeated on Friday. However, the ruling dispensation asserted that the struggle to secure women's rights would continue. While 298 members voted in support of the Bill in the Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it, indicating significant backing but falling short of the required threshold. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill needed 352 votes to secure the two-thirds majority required for passage.

According to the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise. Seats in state and union territory assemblies were also to be increased to accommodate a 33 per cent reservation for women.