Political Tug-of-War Over Women's Reservation Bill

In a heated political exchange, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized the Modi government's recent stance on the Women's Reservation Bill, accusing it of being a ploy to distract from an impending economic crisis and sway voters in five upcoming state elections.

Ramesh pointed out that the government's U-turn comes 30 months after Congress first demanded the bill's immediate implementation. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a campaign in Assam, called for unanimous support for the revised bill, Ramesh deemed the move politically motivated, noting that the bill, known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023, was unanimously passed by Parliament in September 2023.

The bill's implementation is contingent upon census and delimitation completion as defined by Article 334-A - a point of contention Ramesh claims is now being used as a political tool. Modi, meanwhile, aims to discuss amendments during a special session of Parliament from April 16 to 18, 2024, seeking to ensure that one-third of parliamentary seats are reserved for women by 2029.