Congress leaders conducted a protest in New Delhi on April 19, expressing their dissent following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent address concerning the failure of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The demonstration was spearheaded by several party members, including Alka Lamba, who was present at the protest site.

The protest was triggered by PM Modi’s address on April 17 regarding the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill that intended to implement women’s reservation. The bill was not passed in the Lok Sabha due to a lack of support from the INDIA bloc, which opposed the accompanying delimitation framework. This defeat has sparked considerable unrest within the Congress party.

During the demonstration, Congress leader Ragini Nayak articulated her grievances, questioning the integrity of the current political scenario concerning women’s reservations. Nayak expressed concerns over the bill’s postponement and accused PM Modi of not taking adequate measures to bolster women’s representation in governance.

Criticism of Government’s Approach

Congress MP Deepender Singh Hooda joined in the criticisms directed at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He suggested that the party’s actions reveal an “anti-women” stance, claiming that women are being misled regarding the issue of reservation. Hooda asserted that the BJP’s methods appeared to be designed to distract from the fundamental need for women’s representation.

In his remarks, Hooda emphasised that the Congress Party remains resolute in its mission to ensure that women’s reservation is effectively implemented. He condemned the BJP’s tactics, asserting that the party aims to impose delimitation under the pretext of advancing women’s reservation rather than genuinely supporting it.

Jebi Mather, another Congress MP present at the protest, accused the ruling party of constructing a misleading narrative about women’s empowerment. Mather stated that since PM Modi took office in 2014, the government had not prioritised women’s reservations, leaving many women in the country feeling deceived.

Details of the Failed Legislation

The Lok Sabha had engaged in discussions regarding the Constitution Amendment Bill during a Special Session from April 16 to April 18. Prominent leaders, including PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, were involved in these discussions. However, opposition leaders, including Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi, and Congress’s KC Venugopal, voiced their dissent against the bill.

The 131st Constitution Amendment Bill, which aimed to provide 33 per cent reservation for women, failed to secure enough votes, as the INDIA bloc opted not to support the delimitation process linked to the bill. In the subsequent division that followed a thorough debate, 298 members voted in favour, while 230 members opposed the bill.

Following the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill, the government indicated that it would no longer pursue the associated delimitation and Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bills. The proposed legislation was intended to expand the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 members, allocating enhanced representation for women based on the 2011 census.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store –  https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540 

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share