'They Did A Somersault': Rijiju Accuses Congress, SP Of 'Betrayal' On Women's Reservation Bill

Last Updated:April 21, 2026, 10:27 IST

When asked if the government was willing to consider the Opposition’s suggestion of implementing women’s reservation in the current Lok Sabha, Rijiju called it a political stunt.

Two days after the special sitting of the Budget Session ended with the defeat of the Constitutional Amendment Bill, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Opposition had done a “somersault" after initially assuring support to the government.

Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, Rijiju said, “No one (in the government) thought in their wildest dream that Congress-led Opposition would defeat the women reservation bill. They had all supported the bill in 2023. They did a somersault in 2026. During our consultation with Opposition (before the special sitting), no party opposed (the bills)."

When asked if parties like the Samajwadi Party (SP) had assured support during consultations, Rijiju said, “I personally made so much effort. Spoke to everyone. Suddenly SP came up with this idea of quota for Muslim women. It is not possible under Indian Constitution. They were just looking for excuses," he said.

The minister said bringing the Bill was necessitated by the caste census. He said the 2023 bill made census and delimitation imperative for the implementation of reservation. “But caste census is taking time, hence, we brought the bills to ensure that women get their reservation by 2029," he said.

The minister also challenged the Opposition narrative that the government had electoral gains in mind when the special session was called in the middle of campaigning for West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. “Elections are a continuous process. In October, another round of polls will begin, then in March. So should we put on hold all work related to nation-building because of elections? The Narendra Modi government is in a rush. Women of this country have waited for 40 years for reservation. We wanted to implement it at the first opportunity," he said.

The minister reiterated his government’s commitment to women’s reservation but was non-committal when asked if the Constitutional Amendment Bill would be brought back in the next session. He said the Modi government is pledged to implement reservation, but the nitty-gritties of the next step cannot be revealed at this stage.

Opposition Lok Sabha MPs had questioned why the proposal for a 50 per cent seat increase across states was not mentioned in the bill. “Final proposal will come from Delimitation Commission. Government can only give a broad outline, which we did," Rijiju said. “But Home Minister Amit Shah even proposed an amended bill if Opposition was agreeable. We asked for just an hour to bring back an amended bill, but Opposition rejected that too because they wanted any excuse to defeat women reservation," he added.

When asked if the government was willing to consider the Opposition’s suggestion of implementing women’s reservation in the current Lok Sabha of 543 MPs, Rijiju called it a political stunt. “Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should have taken a stand as a woman, against the misleading stance of her brother. What is the point of now suggesting alternatives? Congress and its allied parties like TMC, DMK, SP will never be able to wash away the stain of being anti-women. Women voters will teach them a lesson starting with Bengal," the minister said.

News politics 'They Did A Somersault': Rijiju Accuses Congress, SP Of 'Betrayal' On Women's Reservation Bill

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