Asha Kumari accuses Centre of spreading misinformation

Senior Congress leader and former minister Asha Kumari on Friday accused the Central Government of spreading misinformation on the Women’s Reservation Bill and reiterated that the legislation, already passed by the Parliament in 2023, should be implemented without delay.

Addressing a press conference here, Kumari said the Bill had received unanimous support and did not require fresh amendments. “The Women’s Reservation Bill has already been passed. There is no need to repackage it. The government should implement it in its present form,” she said.

She pointed out that the 2023 law links the rollout of 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to the next Census. “Conducting the Census is the responsibility of the Government of India. Without updated data, the process cannot move forward as envisaged,” she added. “Parliament cannot arbitrarily decide the number of seats. This is the mandate of the Delimitation Commission after a Census. Any attempt to redraw the political map without due process is not constitutional,” she said. Highlighting possible regional imbalances, she said such proposals could disproportionately increase representation in larger states while offering marginal gains to smaller states like Himachal Pradesh, affecting the balance.

On women’s representation within the party, Kumari asserted that Congress had consistently promoted women leaders and supported their participation in politics. Chamba MLA Neeraj Nayar was also present on the occasion.