The BJP and the Congress engaged in a sharp exchange of allegations on Friday after the Constitution Amendment Bill seeking women’s reservation in legislatures failed to secure passage in the Lok Sabha.
The bill aimed to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and sought to increase the seats in the Lok Sabha, from the existing 543 to 816, to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas, and Tourism Suresh Gopi accused the Congress-led opposition in the Lok Sabha of "choosing politics over progress by voting against the bill".
In an emotional Facebook post, Gopi contended that it was not just a bill, but the aspirations of millions of Indian women that were defeated.
Hitting back at the BJP, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal told reporters in Delhi that it was the saffron party which "sabotaged" women's reservation in the legislatures.
Venugopal said that the Centre should be ready, "without a minute's delay", to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in the 543-member strong Lok Sabha in accordance with the Women Reservation Bill passed in 2023.
He said that the Congress will launch nationwide programmes demanding the immediate implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women in the legislature.
"The 2029 Lok Sabha election should be based on the reservation for women," he said.
Venugopal, the MP from Alappuzha Lok Sabha seat, said the aim of the BJP was not to implement women's reservation.
"They intended to sabotage the democratic process and retain their rule over the country by carrying out delimitation under the shield of women's reservation. That attempt was foiled, and their reaction is an indication of their disappointment.
"This is a huge blow to the BJP. To hide that they are going forward with the campaign of blaming the opposition," he contended.
Gopi, in his Facebook post, said, "The light we sought for our mothers and sisters has been momentarily dimmed, but it cannot be extinguished. I stand before you today with a heart heavy with despair.
"To see a vision for true empowerment, the Women's Reservation Bill, fall in the Lok Sabha at the hands of those who chose politics over progress is a wound that goes deep. It wasn't just a bill that was defeated; it was the aspirations of millions of Indian women."
He also quoted a famous line from the movie 'Shawshank Redemption' -- 'Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies' -- to state that it was only a temporary setback.
"My intent is soulful, my resolve is absolute. While some may have blocked the path today, they cannot block the future. "We will find a way. We will have justice. We will have our day. Keep the hope alive. The journey continues," he added in his post.
On Friday, after the bill's defeat, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar had termed it as a "historical betrayal" of women by the Congress, CPI(M) and their alliance.
Chandrasekhar claimed that the "true face" of the two parties and their INDIA bloc has been revealed as they voted against the amendments sought to be made in the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act.
On Saturday, Chandrasekhar claimed that the bill's defeat not only "sabotaged" the goal of women's empowerment, but would also result in draining the influence and strength of the southern states in Indian politics in the future.
He claimed that after the 2026 census, the representation of the southern, north-eastern and other smaller states would be reduced as it would be decided based on population.
He further claimed that the Constitution Amendment Bill was a "sincere" attempt by the Centre to ensure due representation of the southern and north-eastern states and to implement 33 per cent reservation for women.
"This bill was brought to ensure that the states that are at the forefront in development do not lose their rightful place and importance in the administrative system.
"However, the opposition prioritised its own interests over that of the nation," Chandrasekhar contended.
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.