Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge has requested to call an all-party meeting to amend the Women’s Reservation Act. He has said that if political parties are busy in elections, then why does the government seem to be in a hurry?
A letter has been written to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju in this regard. He has said that the government should call an all-party meeting after the completion of the last phase of voting in the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29. This letter of Kharge has come in response to the letter sent by the Union Minister, in which he had requested for a meeting on the plan to amend it for the implementation of Nari Shakti Vandan Act 2023. The Congress President has said that I have just received your letter on 26 March 2026.
Apart from this, the opposition parties have already written a letter on March 24, 2026, suggesting that an all-party meeting be organized after April 29, 2026 to discuss the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023.
Why is the government in such a hurry to make amendments?: Kharge
Kharge said that I am unable to understand why the government is in such a hurry to make further amendments 30 months after passing a Constitution Amendment Act. We all are very busy in the election campaign. This is why we had suggested that the meeting be called after the election campaign is over.
He says that holding the meeting after the assembly elections will not affect the implementation of the amended Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023 before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Kharge said that in fact, during the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on September 21, 2023, I myself had demanded immediate implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023, but the government did not agree to my demand. I once again request you to call an all-party meeting any time after April 29, 2026.
Last Tuesday, opposition parties had written a letter to Rijiju requesting that the government call an all-party meeting on the subject of amendment in the Women’s Reservation Act after the completion of the assembly elections. Union Home Minister Amit Shah held separate meetings with leaders of some constituent parties of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and some regional parties of the opposition on Monday to build a consensus.
This Act was passed in the House in the year 2023
The Nari Shakti Vandan Act, 2023 was passed to provide 33 percent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, although it can be implemented only after the process of delimitation. Sources say that according to the outline under discussion, the number of Lok Sabha seats will increase from the current 543 to 816, out of which 273 seats will be reserved for women.
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