2 min readUpdated: Apr 19, 2026 12:21 PM ISTThe BJP and the Congress in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday traded barbs over the women’s reservation Bill, with Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Jai Ram Thakur accusing the Congress and its allies of exposing their “anti-women mindset” by opposing amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. PWD and Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh, on the other hand, criticised the Union government’s approach to the Bill, alleging “it delays rather than delivers empowerment”.“The move reflects their unwillingness to grant constitutional rights to the women,” Jai Ram said, addressing a protest in Thunag in Seraj, where he joined a large gathering of women.“The Congress was restricted to a single family and did not want capable women from across the country to rise in politics. After decades of waiting, the women’s reservation was being undermined by the party’s anti-empowerment politics,” the LoP alleged, warning: “The people will not forget such actions.”“The BJP, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will continue its commitment to ensuring women receive their due rights,” he said.However, demanded immediate implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats ahead of the 2029 general elections, Vikramaditya Singh said, “Linking the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to the completion of the Census and delimitation exercise effectively postpones women’s reservation for years. This is not empowerment, but an indefinite delay of justice.”He alleged that the proposed delimitation could widen the North-South divide and disadvantage smaller states like Himachal Pradesh, urging the Centre to delink the quota from the census and delimitation processes, calling for a fair and time-bound rollout of the policy.According to Vikramaditya, increasing Lok Sabha seats under the pretext of reservation may shift political power based on population rather than development indicators, thereby penalising states that have performed well in population control and social sectors.Story continues below this adRaising federalism concerns, Singh said, making delimitation a precondition for reservation undermines the democratic balance among states. “Women’s rights should not be used as a cover for altering the constitutional framework,” he added.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...