Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Leads Mahila Mashal Jaloos, Slams Opposition Over Women's Bill Defeat

The Chief Minister spearheaded the torchlight procession, condemning the opposition's role in stalling the legislation. Speaking to reporters, Gupta alleged that opposition parties do not want ordinary women to participate in the country's political process.

She further declared that the women of the country would not forget the "humiliation" caused by the opposition parties' actions in Parliament.

"...After years of waiting, we thought that perhaps we would finally get this 33% reservation. Perhaps we too would be able to participate in the decisions of this country by reaching the Legislative Assembly and the Lok Sabha. But what these opposition parties did, the fallacious arguments they presented there, the deceit and fraud they committed, clearly show that, driven solely by family politics, they (opposition) do not want any ordinary woman in the country to come forward...Women will never forget this humiliation. The women of this country are demanding answers and demanding their rights," said Gupta.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh demanded an all-party meeting to discuss the implementation of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, which provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

In an X post, Jairam Ramesh called for the implementation of reservation for women's reservation with the existing 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, reiterating an opposition to the delimitation exercise.

Noting the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Lok Sabha, the Congress leader wrote, "Now that the election campaign is over and his mischievous move to ram through a diabolical delimitation of the Lok Sabha has failed miserably because of Opposition unity and solidarity, it is time for the PM to do what the Opposition has been unitedly and consistently demanding since mid-March 2026."

"An all-party meeting should be convened to discuss how the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, (that was finally notified in panic only in the late hours of April 16 2026) can be put into effect with the existing strength of the Lok Sabha from 2029 onwards. It is possible. It is desirable. It is essential," he added.

On April 17, in the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against. With the Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, which were taken up together for discussion.

The Bills aimed to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816, with 33 per cent reservation for women. The delimitation was to be carried out based on the 2011 census.

- ANI