Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has hit back at Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the Congress leader’s demand that the Women’s Reservation law be implemented without linking it to the proposed delimitation exercise.
The fresh war of words began after Rahul Gandhi questioned why the government was seeking to connect the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, with delimitation, despite the legislation having received unanimous support in Parliament.
Responding on X, Rijiju argued that the link was not arbitrary but follows from the provisions of the constitutional amendment itself. He laid out six points to explain why delimitation is necessary for implementing the 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.
Rijiju’s 6-Point Rebuttal To Rahul Gandhi
1. Women’s reservation is already part of the Constitution
Rijiju said the reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies was provided for under the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, popularly known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
2. Implementation is tied to delimitation and a post-2023 Census
The Union Minister pointed out that the law provides that the reservation will come into force after a delimitation exercise is undertaken, based on Census figures published after 2023.
According to Rijiju, this effectively means the relevant Census figures would be those published after 2026.
3. Delay in the Census could push implementation beyond 2029
Rijiju argued that the Census exercise is currently underway and could take considerable time to complete and publish, particularly because of the inclusion of a caste-based Census.
He said waiting for the process to conclude could delay the implementation of women’s reservation until at least the 2034 Lok Sabha elections.
4. Delimitation must happen early for 2029 implementation
Rijiju said that if the government wants women’s reservation to be implemented in the 2029 General Elections, the delimitation exercise would have to be completed at the earliest.
He argued that this would require using the latest available published Census figures rather than waiting for a process that could take several more years.
5. Government proposed an implementation mechanism through the Delimitation Bill
The minister said the government had proposed the mechanism for implementing the reservation through the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha alongside the proposed constitutional amendments aimed at enabling the exercise.
6. Constitutional Amendment Bill was defeated in Lok Sabha
Rijiju’s final point was that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which was introduced to facilitate the proposed arrangement, was defeated in the Lok Sabha.
He argued that this setback is directly relevant to the delay in putting the women’s reservation law into effect.
What Rahul Gandhi Said
Rahul Gandhi had earlier accused the government of unnecessarily tying the implementation of the women’s reservation law to delimitation.
Reiterating the Congress’ position, Gandhi said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam had already been passed with the party’s support and should be implemented without attaching additional conditions.
“Mr Rijiju, who would know better than you, as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs–that the Women’s Reservation Bill 2023 has already been passed unanimously, with the full support of the Congress,” Gandhi said in a post on X.
He questioned why the legislation had not been implemented three years after its passage and demanded that the government implement the 2023 law independently of the delimitation exercise.
“Implement the 2023 law. Without any conditions,” Gandhi said.
How The Political Row Began
The latest exchange followed a post by Rijiju in response to a video message from Gandhi on women’s participation in politics.
Gandhi had said Indian politics should focus on making people understand that the country remains “stunted and incomplete” without the full expression and participation of women.
Rijiju described the message as a “positive” one and said he hoped it represented a change in the Congress leader’s position.
He then challenged the Congress to extend “unconditional support” to the Women’s Reservation Bill.
The Congress and other opposition parties have backed women’s reservation but have opposed the government’s proposed delimitation exercise in its current form. The Opposition has argued that delimitation should be accompanied by an increase in the total number of Lok Sabha seats and has demanded that women’s reservation be delinked from the exercise.
The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2023. However, its implementation remains contingent on the delimitation process and Census figures as specified under the law.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, which sought to provide the constitutional framework for the proposed implementation mechanism, was defeated in the Lok Sabha on April 17 after it failed to secure the constitutionally mandated two-thirds majority of members present and voting.