Mumbai: The war of words between former Finance Minister and Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis erupted on Monday after Fadnavis criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his opposition to the Women’s Reservation Bill.
Commenting on Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ programme, Fadnavis said that the most revolutionary step towards empowering women was the Women’s Reservation Bill, alleging that Gandhi had opposed and voted against it.
Chidambaram hits back at Fadnavis
Reacting to Fadnavis’s remarks, Chidambaram took to X and launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra Chief Minister. He said, “I am sure the statement was due to cognitive fatigue, because the Constitution (106th Amendment) Bill providing for 33 percent reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies was passed in Parliament in 2023.”
Responding to Chidambaram, Fadnavis hit back, accusing him of having a “selective memory”. He said the 106th Constitution Amendment Act, 2023, also known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which Chidambaram had “read and voted for”, contains a precondition for the implementation of women’s reservation.
While responding to Chidambaram's statement, Fadnavis pointed out that the reservation provisions will come into effect only after a delimitation exercise, which is to be conducted based on the Census.
Fadnavis raises implementation timeline
Fadnavis further argued that the Census, was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, waiting for the post-commencement Census and subsequent delimitation exercise would mean that women’s reservation could not be implemented in time for the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Defending the government’s position, Fadnavis claimed that fresh legislation was brought in 2026 to enable delimitation based on the already published 2011 Census figures, increase the strength of the Lok Sabha and facilitate the implementation of women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 elections.
“Your leader Rahul Gandhi and the Congress opposed and ensured the defeat of that effort in Parliament — thereby blocking the path to implementation of women’s reservation by 2029,” Fadnavis said.
Fadnavis escalates attack on Congress
Further escalating his attack on the Congress, Fadnavis alleged that the party supported the 106th Amendment in 2023 knowing that the NDA had the numbers to pass it regardless of its support. He used the Hindi idiom “तो बहती गंगा में हाथ धो लो”, implying that Congress sought to take advantage of the situation.
Further Fadnavis also expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would ensure the implementation of the women’s reservation Bill, saying that the government would leave no stone unturned to make it a reality.
Women’s reservation law explained
Meanwhile, the Women’s Reservation Bill, 2023, officially known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was passed by Parliament in September 2023 and became the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, after receiving Presidential assent.
The law provides for 33 percent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies and the Delhi Legislative Assembly. However, the reservation has not yet become operational as it requires a Census followed by a delimitation exercise.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
