In a scathing attack on the Union Government, the Congress party has exposed what it terms an ‘unconstitutional conspiracy’ disguised as women’s empowerment. Addressing a press conference in Bhopal, senior leader Shobha Ojha hailed the opposition’s victory in Parliament, where a controversial amendment bill—seeking to link women’s reservation with delimitation—failed to pass. The bill secured only 298 votes in favor against 230 in opposition, falling short of the required majority. The core demand: quota without delay The primary bone of contention remains the government’s insistence on tying the reservation to the completion of a fresh census and delimitation exercise. The Congress party has demanded that the 33 percent reservation be enforced immediately, starting from the 2029 elections, within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. “If the government is truly committed to ‘Nari Shakti,’ why the wait for census and delimitation?” Ojha questioned, echoing Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s stance. The party formally demanded that the quota be implemented without these hurdles and called for a specific sub-quota for OBC women to ensure inclusive representation.

 

Ideological and moral critique The Congress further alleged that the BJP’s sudden interest in women’s rights is a “theatrical act” to distract from recent controversies, including the ‘Epstein Files’ and allegations involving top leadership. Ojha contrasted the current administration’s rhetoric with the ‘misogynistic’ ideology of RSS ideologue Golwalkar, citing his writings that restricted women to traditional roles. The party also slammed the Prime Minister’s silence on high-profile cases of atrocities against women, citing Manipur, Unnao, Hathras, and the sexual exploitation of woman wrestlers. “Those who protected individuals like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Kuldeep Sengar have no moral right to speak of woman’s honor,” the statement read. Reiterating the Congress’s historical role, the party highlighted that the foundation for women’s representation was laid by former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and P.V. Narasimha Rao through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments. The Congress vowed to continue its struggle across all fronts until women receive their rightful share in governance, asserting that “the time for slogans and notifications has passed; the women of India demand their rights now.”