Manik Saha on Thursday alleged that the Opposition INDIA bloc has repeatedly acted against women’s interests for political gain and does not genuinely support women’s empowerment. He said that the opposition’s stand on the Women’s Reservation Bill reflects what he described as “self-centred politics.”
Addressing a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party state office in Agartala, Saha claimed that an amendment related to the Women’s Reservation Bill could not be passed in Parliament on April 17 due to resistance from opposition parties. He alleged that this delay has deprived women of a historic opportunity for greater political representation.
The Chief Minister referred to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023 as a landmark reform in Indian democracy. The Act provides for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, State Legislative Assemblies, and the Delhi Assembly. He said the legislation represents a major step towards eliminating gender inequality and promoting women-led development in the country.
Saha noted that the demand for women’s reservation has existed for nearly three decades. He recalled that the proposal was first introduced in 1996 during the tenure of former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, but it failed to pass. Subsequent attempts between 1998 and 2003 under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also did not succeed. Although the bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, it could not clear the Lok Sabha at that time due to opposition from several parties.
He said the bill was finally passed with a strong majority in 2023 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a special parliamentary session.
Explaining its provisions, Saha said the law ensures one-third reservation for women in elected bodies, including within Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe reserved constituencies, with rotation of seats after each delimitation exercise. However, he noted that implementation depends on the completion of the national census, which may delay its enforcement.
The Chief Minister further claimed that although an amendment was proposed again in April 2026 to enable implementation by the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, the opposition stalled its passage despite participating in discussions.
He also accused the Congress of historically neglecting women’s issues and said the BJP government remains committed to strengthening women’s participation in governance. Women leaders including Santana Chakma, Mina Rani Sarkar, and Antara Dev Sarkar were present at the press briefing.
