A day after the women’s reservation Bill failed to clear the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday termed the outcome a “victory for democracy” and a “black day” for the Centre, alleging that the government had attempted to alter the federal structure under the guise of women’s reservation.
Addressing a press conference, Gandhi said the defeat reflected the strength of Opposition unity and upheld constitutional principles. “What happened yesterday was a big win for democracy. The conspiracy to change the federal structure was defeated. It was a victory for the Constitution, Opposition unity, and the country,” she said.
She accused the government of using the issue of women’s reservation to pursue a broader political agenda linked to delimitation. “The whole conspiracy was to stay in power. They believed that if delimitation is not done now, it would not happen before 2029,” she said, alleging that the process could have been carried out “according to their own wishes.”
Gandhi claimed the ruling side had positioned itself to gain politically regardless of the outcome. “They thought that if the Bill passed, it would be a win. If it failed, they would project the Opposition as anti-women and present themselves as champions of women,” she said, adding, “It is not easy to become the messiah of women.”
Referring to past incidents, she questioned the BJP’s record on women’s issues. “We saw what happened in Hathras, what happened to our Olympic medallists, and others,” she said.
Reiterating the Opposition’s stand, Gandhi said it was not opposed to women’s reservation but to its linkage with delimitation. She urged the government to implement the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023, within the existing strength of the Lok Sabha. “If you want to do something concrete, bring back the 2023 law and implement it now. If small amendments are needed, make them, but give women their rights now,” she said.
She also took a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, referring to his remarks in the Lok Sabha. “When he said the Congress would not return to the treasury benches for years, it reflects their mindset,” she said.
In a setback to the government, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures by 2029 and increase the Lok Sabha’s strength from 543 to 816 seats following delimitation, was defeated in the House on Friday. While 298 members voted in favour and 230 against, the Bill fell short of the required two-thirds majority.
The proposed changes were part of a set of legislations taken up during a special three-day sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18. Following the defeat, the Congress described the move to link women’s reservation with delimitation as a “dangerous” and “nefarious attempt” that had been decisively rejected.
(With inputs from PTI)