New Delhi, Apr 18: Senior BJP leaders on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of “betraying” women and celebrating the defeat of their political aspirations after a Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 and increase the strength of the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House.
Addressing a press conference here, former Union minister Smriti Irani accused the Congress and its allies of rejoicing over the denial of 33 per cent reservation to women in legislatures, despite decades of demand by women leaders across parties.
“The Congress party smiled smugly, thumped desks and celebrated the crushing of the political aspirations of ordinary women. The Congress and its supporting allies celebrated the fact that women who have struggled for years in politics, and who were only demanding 33 per cent reservation in Parliament, were denied their rights, she alleged.
The Constitution Amendment Bill, which sought to operationalise women’s reservation and increase the strength of the Lok Sabha, was defeated in the Lower House on Friday after failing to secure the required two-thirds majority.
While 298 members voted in favour of the bill, 230 voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for passage.
She claimed that the Congress, in a recent media briefing, claimed credit for nurturing for nearly 98 years a vision of granting political rights to women. However, she questioned the outcome of that claim, saying the events in the Parliament have exposed the party’s intent.
“During the press conference, it was presented as if the party had done a 98-year-long favour to the women of this nation. But what has been the fate of that intention over 98 years? The women of this country saw it on Friday in Parliament,” she told reporters.
According to the Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 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 Union Territory assemblies to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.
The former Union minister described the opposition’s stance as a reflection of a “feudal mindset”, alleging that it treats constitutional rights as political favours rather than entitlements.
“They broke all norms and propriety to ensure that women were deprived of their rightful representation. This reflects a feudal mindset, where it is believed that granting constitutional rights to citizens is an act of charity, and those who ensure such rights are seen as messiahs,” Irani said, referring to a Congress press conference, where she claimed that jibes were made that the BJP was trying to project certain individuals as “messiahs.”
Irani accused the Congress of failing to act when it was in power, alleging that the bill had lapsed during its tenure despite the party having the opportunity to ensure its passage. “During the UPA tenure, the bill was allowed to lapse in the Lok Sabha,” she claimed.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over her remarks on women, questioning the language used and asserting that women in India cannot be treated as a “commodity”.
“What did she say in her press conference? That women are being ‘used’? Are the women of this country something to be used? And a woman MP from the Congress Party, who comes from a prominent family, is saying this. What kind of language is this? That the women of India are a commodity, something that can be used?” he said.
Invoking India’s cultural ethos, the former Union minister noted that women in the country are revered as embodiments of Durga, Kali, Saraswati and Lakshmi and represent the nation’s spiritual heritage as ‘mother’. “To describe them as objects for use is condemnable,” he said, adding that the BJP strongly denounces such a mindset.
Prasad noted that it was important to understand the provisions related to delimitation and allocation of seats in legislatures, and asserted that no revision of seats in the Lok Sabha or state assemblies is possible without delimitation, which is carried out based on population.
“Since the Constitution has come into force, no reorganisation of Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha seats is possible without delimitation,” he said, adding that while the Congress is aware of these provisions, it “pretends not to understand them” for political reasons.
Prasad cautioned southern states against the Congress party’s “misleading argument” on implementing women’s reservation within the existing strength of 543 Lok Sabha seats, saying such a move would reduce representation from the region if done purely on a population basis.
“The Congress’ proposal will lead to a readjustment based on population, which could adversely impact all five southern states, where population growth has been relatively lower compared to northern states. We do not want that,” Prasad said.
He asserted that the delimitation exercise proposed by the government is based on an “equitable, uniform and inclusive” distribution of seats, while increasing the total to 815.
He also criticised the DMK, alleging that by opposing the bill, its leaders have undermined the constitutional rights of women in Tamil Nadu.
