EXCLUSIVE | Kiren Rijiju Defends Women’s Reservation Bill, Hits Out At Opposition Criticism

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• Government defends women’s reservation bill as necessary step.
• Bill aims to ensure long-pending reservation for women.
• Concerns about census and OBC quotas are secondary.
• Government has public mandate for legislative decisions.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday defended the proposed amendment to The Women’s Reservation Bill (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam), asserting that the move is not politically motivated but aimed at ensuring long-pending reservation for women.

Speaking to ABP News during the ongoing Budget Session, Rijiju said the government had already shared the draft of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, with Members of Parliament and urged all parties to support it.

‘Opposition Should Not Make Mistake of Opposing’

Rejecting allegations from Opposition parties, the Union Minister said the bill was not introduced to influence elections.

“Women’s reservation had to be implemented. How long could it be delayed?” he said, adding that frequent elections in the country make such claims baseless.

He also cautioned Opposition parties against resisting the legislation, saying they should not make the “mistake” of opposing a measure aimed at empowering women.

ALSO READ | Rahul Gandhi Flags ‘Power Grab’ Over Women’s Quota Rollout, Warns Against ‘Hissa Chori’

Census, OBC Concerns ‘Secondary’: Rijiju

Responding to questions over why the government did not wait for a fresh Census or include OBC reservations within the framework, Rijiju downplayed the concerns.

He said the primary focus should remain on granting reservations to women, rather than getting entangled in “smaller issues”.

“The main issue is to provide reservation to women, and that is what the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing,” he said, while calling for a united political approach.

‘Mandate Lies With Government’, Says Minister

Reacting to criticism from Opposition leaders, including comments attributed to Sonia Gandhi, Rijiju said the government has a clear mandate from the people.

“The public has elected Prime Minister Modi. Decisions will be taken by the government, not the Opposition,” he said, adding that the country is currently governed by the BJP, not the Congress.