Opposition Parties to Meet on April 15 (Image Source: Internet)
New Delhi: The main opposition, Congress, today decided to call an all-opposition parties' meeting on Wednesday to deliberate on the implementation of Women’s Reservation. This call was given by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge this evening, reports Dynamite News correspondent.
Kharge accused the NDA government of trying to push the amended Women’s Reservation Bill without consulting the opposition parties. The Congress chief said that all opposition parties fully support the legislation, but there is a need for wider consultations on its implementation given its broader national implications.
The opposition parties’ meeting will be held a day before the three-day special session of Parliament starting from April 16. The opposition also alleges that the Narendra Modi government is attempting to use the Women’s Reservation law as a “cover” to push through delimitation and sidestep the demand for a caste census.
Addressing the media, Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government’s timing when the assembly elections for five states are in progress. He said that several times the opposition had requested an all-party meeting after April 29, once the assembly election process is completed.
The Congress maintained that delimitation must be politically equitable and not just arithmetically driven. The party alleged that the government is seeking to shift political focus ahead of elections.
Kharge alleged that by pushing the bill in a hurry, the government wants to create an excuse and blame the opposition on the issue of Women’s Reservation.
The opposition maintains that it had supported the Women’s Reservation Bill in 2023 when it was passed unanimously, providing one-third reservation for women in Parliament and legislatures.
