Congress President and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged the government to convene an all-party meeting to deliberate on the Women’s Reservation Bill, stressing the need for consensus and cautioning against politicising the issue.
Speaking in the upper house, Kharge said he had formally written to the government requesting that Opposition parties be brought together for a collective discussion. “I wrote to the government and said that an all-party meeting of the Opposition should be convened so that all of us can come together and present a collective view, and the government can also put its perspective before everyone,” he said.
Reiterating the Opposition stand not to oppose the proposed legislation, he underlined the Congress party’s long-standing support for women’s reservation. “We are not against the Women’s Reservation Bill. In fact, we were the first to bring it forward,” Kharge said, adding that Opposition parties would review the government’s stance and contribute constructively to the process.
The Women’s Reservation Bill, which proposes reserving one-third of seats in Parliament and state legislatures for women, has remained pending for decades despite repeated attempts to pass it, making it one of the most debated reforms in India’s political landscape.
Criticising the government’s approach, Kharge alleged political motives behind the handling of the Bill. “I believe this is a very important bill and there are several issues involved. The government should stop playing politics over this bill,” he said.
Raising questions over delays and legislative priorities, he asked why the government had taken years to move forward. “If the government was so determined to bring this Bill, then why did it take three years to complete this work? Why was this bill not introduced earlier in the same session? When several issues were discussed in the House, why was this not discussed,” he asked.
Kharge also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that key decisions were being controlled from behind the scenes. “In this matter, the fault does not lie with the ministers, because they are sent to face the House while Narendra Modi remains behind the scenes,” he claimed.
Calling for a non-partisan approach, Kharge suggested that the bill be taken up after elections to avoid political advantage. “My demand is that this issue should be brought up after the elections. We are all together on this matter. The government should not try to take political credit for it during elections,” he said.
His remarks came amid renewed political sparring over the Women’s Reservation Bill, with both the ruling government and the Opposition asserting their commitment to enhancing women’s representation while differing sharply on the timing and intent behind the move.