New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday shared a protest video from Sikkim highlighting public support for the Women’s Reservation Bill and strongly criticised the Opposition after its defeat in the Lok Sabha.

He posted, “A strong warning to Congress Party. Look at the massive support for the Women’s reservation in Parliament and Assemblies from a small and a beautiful state of Sikkim!!”

The reaction came after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 failed to secure the required two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha despite receiving majority support. The Bill, which aimed to introduce 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state Assemblies, was defeated in a closely watched vote that has since triggered sharp political exchanges between the ruling and Opposition blocs.

The NDA is accusing the INDIA bloc of deliberately blocking a historic reform aimed at increasing women’s representation in legislative bodies.

The Opposition on its part is objecting to the women’s reservation Bill being tethered to the expansion of Parliament based on the 2011 Census and the exercise of delimitation.

In a separate post, Rijiju reiterated the government’s commitment to the reform, stating, “We’ll keep working for India’s women! The Opposition did not support this historic Bill that honours women. Under the leadership of Prime Minister @narendramodi ji, our government will continue to work for the respect of women.”

The Bill received 298 votes in favour and 230 against in the Lok Sabha, falling short of the constitutionally required two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional amendment.

Along with the reservation provision, the legislation also proposed increasing the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 seats, linked to a long-pending delimitation exercise intended to redraw constituencies based on population changes since the 1971 Census.

While the government defended the Bill as a corrective step to address representation imbalance and deliver long-awaited women’s reservation, Opposition parties argued it was tied to political redistribution that could disproportionately benefit certain regions and put other regions at an disadvantage. They also raised concerns over federal balance and electoral fairness.

The Bill’s defeat has intensified the political divide, with the government accusing the Opposition of blocking a historic reform, while the Opposition continues to question the intent and timing of the legislation.

–IANS

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