PM Modi portraying himself as key proponent of women's reservation: Congress

The Congress on Friday raised questions over the Centre’s position on the implementation of women’s reservation, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh alleging a shift in the government’s stance and linking it to the upcoming Assembly elections.

In a post on X, Ramesh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had begun publishing articles portraying himself as a key proponent of women’s reservation in Parliament and state legislatures, even though the law passed in 2023 was yet to be enforced.

Referring to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, Ramesh said the Congress had sought its implementation from the 2024 elections, but the government linked it to the completion of the Census and delimitation exercise. He said this condition led to delays, as the Census itself has not been conducted.

The Congress senior leader claimed that the Centre now appears to be reconsidering that linkage, even as earlier it had maintained that delimitation based on updated population data was necessary before rolling out the quota. He cited statements from officials indicating that Census data could be available by 2027.

Ramesh also connected the issue to the political context in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, where assembly elections are approaching, suggesting that the renewed emphasis on women’s reservation forms part of a broader electoral strategy targeting women voters.

He further criticised the functioning of the Election Commission of India, while stating that the government’s position reflects inconsistency in policy planning.