No one can call me anti-women: Shashi Tharoor's Lok Sabha selfie sparks buzz

Thiruvananthapuram MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday recounted a brief exchange with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, saying the BJP leader acknowledged that "no one could ever call me anti-women".

In a post on X, Tharoor shared a photograph of Opposition members gathered with Rijiju inside the House after proceedings ended. The Congress leader said that during the interaction, when Rijiju explained why the ruling party had labelled the Opposition "mahila virodhi" (anti-women), he was told that such an accusation could not be applied to him -- a point Rijiju accepted.

"A little post-adjournment gathering of Opposition MPs in the LokSabha with our charming Parliamentary Affairs Minister. When @KirenRijiju explained why he & his party were calling the Opposition "mahila virodhi", it was pointed out to him that no one could ever call me anti-women! He conceded the point," the Thiruvananthapuram MP wrote.

Tharoor also used the moment to reiterate his broader position on women's representation. Describing women as "by far the better half of the species" and "Humans 2.0", he argued that they deserve a stronger presence in Parliament and across institutions.

"Let’s face it, women are by far the better half of the species. They’re the improved models: Humans 2.0. They deserve representation in Parliament and in every institution. Just don’t link their advancement to a mischievous and potentially dangerous Delimitation that could devastate our democracy," he asserted.

Tharoor's remarks came a day after a major legislative setback for the government. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, which sought to operationalise 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029, was defeated in the Lok Sabha.

The proposal had also included expanding the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816 seats following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, along with a corresponding increase in seats in state assemblies and Union Territory legislatures to accommodate the quota.

In the voting held on Friday, 298 members backed the bill while 230 opposed it. With 528 MPs participating, the legislation fell short of the 352 votes required for the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment.

The bill was taken up during a three-day special session of Parliament held from April 16 to 18.

Following its defeat, the Congress described the outcome as a rejection of what it called an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to link women's reservation with delimitation, terming the result a victory for democratic principles and the Constitution.

The BJP, on the other hand, termed the development a "black day", saying the parties which stalled the Constitution Amendment Bill will face the wrath of women.

"They will have to face the anger of the women of the country. This is a black stain on Congress and its allies, one that they will never be able to erase. This Bill was about giving historic representation to women-what objection could there have been?" Rijiju said.

- Ends

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