Women's reservation law amendment should not be used as political tool: Shashi Tharoor

Ahead of the special three-day Parliament session when the women's reservation law is expected to be amended, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said the proposed amendments should not be a political tool that undermines federalism and vitiates the vitality of Parliament.

In a post on X, he alleged that the government is convening a "special session" to derive political mileage ahead of state polls with an eye on delimitation before the 2029 general elections.

He also asserted that Congress is committed to a one-third reservation for women, but the same should be inclusive and fair.

Sharing his pictures at the Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met on Friday to take a stand on the proposed amendments to the women's reservation law (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), he said, "While the Congress has always championed the 33% quota, and the first to introduce a Bill and pass it in the Rajya Sabha in 2013, the current government's approach raises serious alarms."

The meeting came days ahead of the three-day sitting of Parliament, during which the government will bring bills to implement the law before the 2029 parliamentary polls and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, with 273 reserved for women.

"The CWC condemned the government's unilateral and opaque push for amendments without consulting Opposition parties. The party flagged that rushing a delimitation exercise alongside the bill could have dangerous consequences for the democratic balance of our states, particularly in the South and Northeast," he noted.

Tharoor said many Congress leaders highlighted that the government originally delayed implementation until after the Census.

"Now, a 'special session' is being used for political mileage ahead of state polls and with an eye on delimitation before the 2029 general election.

"The Indian National Congress remains committed to one-third reservation for women, but it must be inclusive and fair. The Amendment Bill should not be a political tool that undermines federalism and vitiates the vitality of Parliament as a deliberative body," the Congress leader said.

The Congress on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of playing politics in the name of women's reservation law and asserted that the proposed delimitation exercise linked to it was "not constitutional" and could have "grave consequences" that warrant thorough deliberation after the ongoing assembly polls.

During the CWC meeting, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge had said he would now call a meeting of top leaders of all opposition parties, most likely on April 15, to discuss and formulate a joint strategy for the "special session" of Parliament from April 16 to 18.