Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to PM Modi urging an all-party meeting to discuss the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation, accusing the government of calling a special Parliament session without consulting the Opposition.
Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday, urging the government to convene an all-party meeting to discuss proposed constitutional amendments linked to the Women's Reservation Bill and the issue of delimitation. He alleged that the special Parliament session has been called without taking the Opposition into confidence, and warned that key details are still not clear for a meaningful discussion. This comes as the Parliament is set to meet for a three-day special session from April 16, with a focus on the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill.
Kharge Questions Government's Intentions
In the letter, Kharge wrote, "I have just received your letter on the special session of Parliament for a discussion on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam from the 16th of April...This special sitting has been called without taking us into confidence and your government is seeking our cooperation again without revealing any details on the delimitation going to be done. You will appreciate that without details of the delimitation and other aspects, it would be impossible to have any useful discussion on this historic law."
"You mention in your letter that your government has engaged in dialogue with political parties regarding this. However, I am pained to point out that this goes against the truth since all the Opposition parties have been urging the Government to call an All-Party meeting after the current round of elections is over on April 29th 2026 to discuss the Constitution amendments being contemplated. The calling of a special sitting during the ongoing state elections only reinforces our belief that your government is hurrying the implementation of the bill to gain political mileage rather than truly empower women," the letter reads.
Opposition Proposes Collective Discussion
He stated that discussions on the delimitation issue linked to the Women's Reservation Bill must be taken forward collectively if the special Parliament session is meant to strengthen democracy and ensure inclusive decision-making. "If the special sitting is meant to "strengthen our democracy" and "moving forward together, taking everyone along" as you write in the letter, then I would suggest that the government convene an All-Party meeting any time after April 29th to discuss the delimitation issue which is being linked to the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023," the letter read.
Planned Amendments and Census Data
The Government has planned two major amendments. 2023's Nari Shakti Vandan Act tied women's reservation to the new census and delimitation. Due to census delays, the plan is to proceed with the 2011 census data.
Jairam Ramesh Alleges MCC Violation
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said that the special Parliament session is being convened during the ongoing election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, terming it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. He reiterated the Opposition's demand for an all-party meeting after April 29, 2026, to discuss issues linked to the Women's Reservation Bill.
In a post on X, Ramesh wrote, "The Congress President Mallikarjun @kharge ji writes to the PM on the special session of Parliament being convened next week in the middle of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal - which is a clear breach of the Model Code of Conduct." The Congress President Mallikarjun @kharge ji writes to the PM on the special session of Parliament being convened next week in the middle of the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal - which is a clear breach of the Model Code of Conduct. He has reiterated the… pic.twitter.com/S5F1GIAS4U — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 12, 2026
"He has reiterated the Opposition's request to have an All-Party meeting convened anytime after April 29, 2026," the post read. (ANI)
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