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Kharge urges govt to call all-party meeting over Nari Shakti Act
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urges an all-party meeting to discuss potential changes to the women's reservation law, criticising individual talks.
New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded that the “government call an all-party meeting” to discuss any changes in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act providing reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, pointing out that individual talks between government managers and select Opposition leaders would be meaningless.
Kharge’s comments come in the context of parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju reaching out to him through a senior Congress member of the Rajya Sabha to sound him (Kharge) out on any possible amendment to the act for speedier implementation.
Media reports have claimed that the plan was to push through the reservation before the delimitation of constituencies, which will follow the ongoing National Census. The act itself makes a provision for the reservation happening only after the delimitation.
“I will talk to (Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson) Sonia Gandhi and (Lok Sabha’s LoP) Rahul Gandhi (on the issue). But we want the government to call an all-party meeting to consult leaders of all parties, if they are serious about anything,” Kharge said.
His stance underlines the Congress’ effort to bring all INDIA bloc constituents on board at the decision-making level . The long-pending women reservation bill to give 33% quota for women in assemblies and the Lok Sabha was unanimously passed in Parliament.
“An all-party meeting is necessary as these individual talks won’t help. The government should call all parties and see what is the mood ,” Kharge added.
According to Congress leaders Rijiju has started consulting leaders across parties to discuss the possibility of delinking what is also known as the Women’s Reservation Act from the previously laid down condition that required carrying out delimitation and Census. They added that the idea was to push this through ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Interestingly, at the time the law was being passed, INDIA bloc leaders had demanded that it should be implemented from 2029 Lok Sabha election. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had even questioned the intent of the government, if the law would only come into effect in 2034, and claimed that the delay defeated the very purpose of the bill.
