NEW DELHI: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged chiefs of all parties to support amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023 during the three-day special session of Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to the PM on Sunday, stating that it would be “impossible” to have a meaningful discussion on the law without clarity on delimitation and related aspects.
He demanded that an all-party meeting be convened on the issue after the state polls conclude on April 29.
Kharge’s letter prompted a response from Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, triggering what has been called a “letter war” between the two.
In his letter to the PM, Kharge argued that convening a special sitting of House from April 16 amid state polls reinforces the perception that the government is rushing the implementation of the women’s reservation law for “political mileage”.
He reiterated his demand for an all-party meeting to deliberate on the delimitation issue, which is being linked to amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, after April 29. “As you are aware, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 was passed by Parliament unanimously in September 2023. At that time, on behalf of the Congress, I had demanded that this important law should become effective immediately,” Kharge wrote to the PM.
“It has been 30 months since then, and now this special sitting has been called without taking us into confidence and your government is seeking our cooperation again without revealing any details on the delimitation going to be done,” Kharge wrote.
Within hours of Kharge’s letter, Rijiju responded on behalf of the PM. “Promises to India’s women cannot become politics of postponement. Today,
when it is time to deliver the#NarishaktiVandan Adhiniyam, hesitation & questions are being raised. I respectfully differ,” Rijiju wrote. He emphasised that the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in 2023 by both Houses of Parliament reflected a long-standing national aspiration and a genuine collective effort across the political spectrum.
“Today we are in 2026 and if we don’t act now, it is possible that women’s reservation may not be implemented in time for the 2029 elections. Should be we allow a possible delay in implementation to make our best efforts to meet the expectations of the people to implement it as soon as possible? This is why in our humble view, this is the most appropriate and logical moment to move forward with the necessary amendments,” he clarified.
Govt engaging with stakeholders, says Rijiju
Rijiju disagreed with Kharge’s concerns over lack of consultation, stating that the government had been engaging with stakeholders since March 16, 2026. He mentioned having personally discussed the matter with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, the party’s chief whip in the Rajya Sabha, during the Budget session.