Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the BJP government's anti-women reservation policy and intent now stand exposed before the country. He strongly condemned the BJP government's “double standards” on women's reservation and alleged deliberate delays in its implementation.
Addressing a special press conference, Hooda cited historical facts, constitutional procedures, and timelines. He said women's reservation has long been a commitment of the Congress party. In contrast, he alleged, the BJP government stalled the initiative for political gain and is now attempting to create confusion among the public.
“The reality is that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Act), 2023, has become an integral part of the Constitution. In September 2023, both Houses of Parliament unanimously passed the Bill, and it subsequently received the President's assent. Despite this, the BJP has failed to implement the reservation even after three years, simply because it has no intention of doing so,” he said.
“In fact, the BJP did not even complete the administrative task of notifying the reservation law until 9:55 pm on April 16, 2026. This means that for a full 30 months, this crucial legislation was not formally notified,” he added.
Hooda alleged that the government deliberately introduced a delimitation Bill in Parliament with the specific objective of further delaying the reservation. He claimed this was done without conducting a census and that the women's reservation clause was strategically tagged to it.
“The Opposition, and indeed the entire nation, saw through this ploy of the BJP and ensured that the government's manoeuvre did not succeed. The Opposition is now demanding that the Bill, passed in 2023, be implemented immediately,” he said.
“Consequently, those currently in power find themselves in a state of desperation, much like a cornered cat, and are now attempting to create confusion among the public to conceal their anti-women policies,” he added.
He pointed out that the provision of 33 per cent reservation for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions was a legacy of the Congress party. One-third reservation for women in Gram Panchayats, Block Panchayats, and District Panchayats was introduced under the leadership of Rajiv Gandhi through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments.
“As a result, about 15 lakh women today hold elected positions at various levels, and their representation has reached up to 40%. The Congress actually worked for women, unlike the BJP, which merely engaged in theatrics,” he said.
“It was the Congress that successfully passed this Bill in the Rajya Sabha, where we held the necessary numerical strength, in 2010. It could not be passed in the Lok Sabha because we were leading a coalition government at the time. However, even after the Bill was passed and enacted into law, the BJP failed to implement it,” he added.
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