The Opposition Has Hindered the Path of Women's Rights: CM Nayab Singh Saini

Rohtak, April 19, 2026: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that the Opposition recently prevented the passage of the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' (Women's Reservation Bill) in Parliament; by doing so, all opposition parties have effectively placed obstacles in the path of women's rights. To date, the Congress party has merely paid lip service to the cause of securing reservation for women.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was addressing a press conference on Sunday at the 'Mangal Kamal' office in Rohtak. Present on the occasion were West Delhi MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Haryana BJP State President Mohan Lal Kaushik, and other distinguished leaders.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini asserted that on April 16 and 17, the Opposition, by opposing the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' in the country's highest legislative body, effectively robbed our sisters and daughters of their rightful entitlements. The events that unfolded within the Parliament—the very 'Temple of Democracy'—were not only undemocratic but also constituted a severe blow to the future of half the country's population. This episode has exposed the true face of opposition parties—such as the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the TMC, and the DMK—before the entire nation. He alleged that these parties have once again demonstrated that whenever the issue of empowering women arises, their true character—characterized by an anti-women bias and an insatiable lust for power—comes to the fore. This was a historic opportunity to secure constitutional rights for women; yet, the Opposition sacrificed this very opportunity at the altar of their own parochial politics.
CM Saini noted that on April 16, 2026, the Central Government had introduced three revolutionary bills in the Lok Sabha: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill. The Central Government's resolve behind introducing these bills was unequivocally clear: in accordance with the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam,' women's reservation was slated to be implemented following the census and the subsequent delimitation exercise scheduled for after 2026. The Central Government was well aware that had we waited for the census and the lengthy delimitation process, our sisters would not have been able to avail the benefit of 33 percent reservation even in the 2029 general elections. Consequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the bold decision to delink this reservation from the condition of the census, thereby ensuring that our 'Nari Shakti' (women power) could mark their effective presence in Parliament as early as the 2029 general elections. He stated that the Prime Minister had clearly asserted that women's participation is not an act of charity, but their inherent right. However, the Congress and its allies have once again acted to place hurdles in the path of women's rights. This constituted a betrayal of half the country's population.
CM Nayab Singh Saini questioned why, exactly, the opposition is so apprehensive about women's reservation. The answer is evident: these parties know that the very day the women of this country attain their full political rights, their politics of dynasticism will come to an end. The greatest threat posed by women's empowerment is to those very parties that, for decades, viewed women merely as a 'vote bank' while denying them the right to leadership. He alleged that, for years, the Congress engaged in nothing but tokenism in the name of women's reservation. They formed committees and offered excuses, yet never granted women their rightful entitlements. In contrast, Prime Minister Modi accorded dignity to women by introducing the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”. However, when the moment arrived to implement it, the opposition's true anti-women face was exposed.
He noted that the opposition spread falsehoods and confusion under the guise of the delimitation process, claiming that it would disadvantage certain states. Yet, Home Minister Amit Shah clarified in Parliament—substantiating his points with facts—that the representation of no state would be diminished. There would be a proportionate increase in seats, thereby maintaining the balance across all states. Despite this, opposition leaders persisted in propagating lies, for their objective is not to empower women, but rather to engage in self-serving politics.
Providing further details, the Chief Minister pointed out that in 1971—when our population stood at 540 million—the number of Lok Sabha seats was fixed at 550. Today, our population has reached 1.4 billion. Therefore, it is essential to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 to ensure proper representation for every citizen. Regarding this, the opposition spread yet another falsehood, claiming that such a move would be detrimental to the states of South India. He clarified that the Central Government's proposed model entailed a uniform increase of 50 percent in seats across all states. For instance, the current share of South Indian states stands at 23.76 percent—a figure that would have risen to 23.87 percent under this new model. The number of seats for Tamil Nadu was set to increase from 39 to 59, and for Karnataka, from 28 to 42. In other words, this proposal was not about depriving any state of its rights, but rather about enhancing the rights of all. However, by opposing these bills, the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the TMC, and the DMK have demonstrated that their concern for women's welfare is merely a charade. The Samajwadi Party has done nothing but divert attention from the core issue by raising an unconstitutional demand for religion-based reservation—even though our Constitution explicitly prohibits reservation on religious grounds. The opposition is well aware that if the debate were to focus on the actual issue, the women of the country would demand to know why they were denied their rights for so many years; consequently, they are resorting to diverting the discourse.
Accusing the Congress party of adopting a double standard, the Chief Minister stated that Congress leaders—who stood against women during the Shah Bano case and who, for decades, stifled the Women's Reservation Bill through technical excuses and bureaucratic delays—are repeating the very same conspiracy even today. He remarked that history bears witness to the fact that when India gained independence, several other nations attained their freedom at the same time. Yet, while some of those nations have since evolved into developed economies, it took India decades to reach that same milestone. What was the cause of this delay? I wish to state unequivocally that it was the Congress party's negative and anti-development politics. The guiding principle of their politics has always been: obstruct, delay, and divert. From the very beginning, they have opposed every single decision aimed at propelling the nation forward.
The Chief Minister noted that whether it was the enactment of the Triple Talaq law to uphold women's dignity; the abrogation of Article 370 to integrate the nation; discussions regarding the Uniform Civil Code; proposals for 'One Nation, One Election'; efforts to cleanse the voter rolls; deliberations on reforming the Central Waqf Council; or the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act—on every single occasion, and on every single front, they have done nothing but oppose.
Issuing a stern warning to the Opposition, he asserted that the women of this country will never forgive those who attempt to politicize women's rights. Today, women in our villages are running Panchayats; women in our cities are running industries; and women across the nation are assuming leadership roles in every sector. Why, then, is the Opposition so apprehensive about their participation in Parliament? The truth is that the Opposition fears that the empowerment of women will erode the very foundation of their politics—a foundation built entirely upon lies. By obstructing this legislation, the Opposition has not merely stalled a single bill; rather, they have attempted to crush the dreams of millions of mothers and daughters.
The Chief Minister declared that, by blocking the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Bill' (Women's Empowerment Bill), the Opposition has completely desecrated the dignity of democracy. He characterized the Opposition's conduct within Parliament as tantamount to the public humiliation of 'Nari Shakti' (Women's Power) within the very temple of democracy. He further asserted that any attempt to strip women of their political rights constitutes a moral outrage against the very spirit of modern politics. The Opposition, he concluded, possesses neither sound policy nor sincere intent. They harbor nothing but animosity towards women's empowerment. Issuing a stern warning to the opposition parties that opposed the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”, he asserted that in the times to come, the women of the nation would use the power of their votes to deliver a resounding retort to parties harboring an anti-women mindset.
Responding to media queries, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini stated that while the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam” was indeed passed in 2023, its immediate implementation was subject to certain constitutional processes. He clarified that the procedures for the Census and Delimitation were already predetermined; the framework for implementing the Act was devised specifically with these established processes in mind. He further noted that as early as 1976, it had been decided that the next delimitation exercise would take place in 2026; consequently, the implementation of this Act was linked to that specific timeline.
Chief Minister Saini reiterated that the government remains fully committed to the empowerment of women and will continue to take every possible measure to safeguard their rights in the future. Responding to another query regarding crop procurement at the mandis, the Chief Minister affirmed that the government has ensured all necessary arrangements are in place and that there are currently no issues. He explained that the window for crop arrival has become compressed, which naturally increases the operational pressure; however, the government is working with utmost diligence to ensure that farmers do not face any inconvenience whatsoever.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government took a significant stride towards women's empowerment by introducing three key bills in Parliament on April 16, 2026, aimed at further strengthening the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam”. She highlighted that this historic legislation—passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in September 2023—established a provision for reserving 33 percent of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies. She further added that following the formation of the new government in 2024, and in response to the Opposition's demand for a caste census, the government decided to incorporate caste-based data into the ongoing census process. Given the country's population size, this process was likely to be time-consuming, which could have delayed the realization of the benefits of women's reservation in the 2029 general elections. Against this backdrop, the government introduced the following three amended bills in Parliament. The primary objective of these bills is to delink the “Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam” from the delimitation process, thereby ensuring that women receive the benefit of 33 percent reservation in the 2029 general elections. Accusing the opposition parties of being anti-women, he stated that the people of the country are watching everything, and these parties will have to face the consequences in the future.
Present on this occasion were BJP State Treasurer Ajay Bansal, the CM's Media Coordinator Ashok Chhabra, State Media Co-in-charge Shamsher Kharak, and Rajkumar Kapoor, along with other office-bearers and dignitaries.