The Congress, on Sunday, urged the government to implement women’s reservation without delay within the existing Lok Sabha strength, staging a protest.
They also accused the Modi government of holding back the quota for political reasons.
The protest by the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee comes two days after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh, who participated in the protest, said, "When the Bill was passed, we (the Congress) demanded that the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' be implemented from the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. That demand was ignored and we were told the date when it would be enforced would be notified later. They kept silent for nearly 30 months. Suddenly, on the night of April 16, the Bill was notified."
Ramesh alleged that when it became clear that the Bill with provisions for delimitation would not pass due to opposition unity, the government "rushed to notify the women's reservation law" and is now claiming that the Congress is against women's reservation.
The protest, led by Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav, saw party workers march towards the BJP headquarters, raising slogans as part of their demonstration.
Among those present were senior leaders, including All India Mahila Congress president Alka Lamba, Delhi Women's Congress chief Pushpa Singh and AICC spokesperson Ragini Nayak.
Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the protest was aimed at pressing for the immediate implementation of women's reservation on the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats.
"Our protest today is for the demand for women's reservation, which has been ongoing for many years. The bill was introduced in Parliament in 2023 and passed unanimously. Today, once again, the BJP is trying to push the delimitation exercise under the garb of women's reservation. If you are truly well-wishers of women, then implement reservation within the 543 seats of the current Lok Sabha," he said.
The Congress also sought to counter the BJP's narrative on the issue, accusing the Centre of delaying the implementation of the 2023 women's reservation act.
AICC spokesperson Ragini Nayak alleged that the Centre had deliberately linked the quota with delimitation to delay its rollout.
"In 2023, the entire opposition supported the women's reservation law, but the Modi government attached two conditions, census and delimitation, thus postponing it. Even today, we are saying, implement reservation on 543 seats," she said.
Several Congress protesters gathered at the Delhi Congress office near the Rouse Avenue Court, torched an effigy of the prime minister and attempted to march towards the BJP headquarters.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on Friday night after the opposition parties voted against it.
Under the bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to up to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
Seats were also to be increased in state and UT assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
A two-thirds majority was required for the passage of the crucial bill, but the BJP-led ruling alliance could not muster the numbers.
During polling, 298 members voted in support of the bill, while 230 MPs voted against it.
Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment bill.
(With inputs from PTI)
