Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday shared details of a light exchange with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, saying the BJP leader acknowledged that “no one could ever call me anti-women.”
Posting on X, Tharoor shared a picture of opposition MPs interacting with Rijiju in the House and described it as a “post-adjournment gathering.” “A little post-adjournment gathering of Opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha with our charming Parliamentary Affairs Minister,” he wrote.
“When Kiren Rijiju explained why he and his party were calling the Opposition ‘mahila virodhi', it was pointed out to him that no one could ever call me anti-women! He conceded the point…” Tharoor said.
He also underlined his support for greater representation of women in public life. “Let’s face it, women are by far the better half of the species. They’re the improved models: Humans 2.0. They deserve representation in Parliament and in every institution.”
At the same time, Tharoor cautioned against linking women’s empowerment to delimitation proposals. “Just don’t link their advancement to a mischievous and potentially dangerous Delimitation that could devastate our democracy,” he said.
His remarks come a day after a Constitution amendment bill seeking to implement 33% reservation for women in legislatures and increase the strength of the Lok Sabha was defeated in the House. The proposed legislation sought to raise the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to enable implementation of women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 general elections.
The bill failed to secure the required two-thirds majority despite support from 298 members, with 230 MPs voting against it out of 528 present and voting. It was taken up during a special three-day session of Parliament convened from April 16 to 18.
Following the defeat, the Congress said the government’s attempt to link delimitation with women’s reservation had been rejected, describing it as a victory for democratic principles.
For theLatest news,India Newsand breaking stories from around theworld, visitTimes Nowfor live coverage and in-depth reporting.
Arpita Ghosh (She/Her) is an Assistant Editor at Times Now Digital, with over eight years of experience in digital journalism. She has worked across v...View More
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
