AIUDF leader Rafiqul Islam criticises Centre over conditions linked to women’s quota rollout

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Sunday, April 19 criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent address to the nation, questioning the government’s commitment to women’s political representation and raising concerns over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation framework.

AIUDF General Secretary Rafiqul Islam said that the Prime Minister’s speech failed to address key concerns surrounding the delay in enforcing the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was passed in 2023. He stated that while the government has projected the legislation as a step towards empowering women, its implementation remains contingent on the completion of the census and subsequent delimitation exercise.

Islam argued that such conditions have effectively postponed the benefits of the legislation. He said that women across the country are seeking immediate enforcement of the proposed 33 per cent reservation in legislative bodies rather than a delayed rollout tied to administrative processes.

The AIUDF leader further suggested that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could demonstrate its commitment by voluntarily allocating 33 per cent of electoral tickets to women in states where elections are scheduled in the near future.

He also pointed to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), noting that the party already has over one-third representation of women in Parliament, as an example of political will in advancing gender representation.

In addition, Islam raised concerns regarding the proposed delimitation exercise, alleging that it could lead to a reduction in representation for minority communities, Scheduled Castes, and Other Backward Classes. Referring to Assam, he claimed that disparities in constituency population sizes indicate inconsistencies that could be exacerbated by future delimitation.



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