New Delhi, 17 April 

Opposition members in the Lok Sabha on Friday questioned the government's decision to move a bill to amend the 2023 women quota law before bringing the principal Act into force.

Soon after laying of parliamentary papers, KC Venugopal rose to point out a law ministry notification issued last night around 10pm to bring into force the 2023 Women's Reservation Law with effect from 16 April, much after a bill to amend the Act was introduced and discussed in the House.

DMK MP Kanimozhi also flagged the issue, wondering the logic in discussing an amendment after notifying the principal Act.

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the Constitution amendment bill has nothing to do with women's reservation but is an attempt by the government to change the country's electoral map by taking away representation from southern, northeastern and smaller states, which is "nothing short of an anti-national act".

Participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendments in the women's quota law and setting up a delimitation commission, the Congress leader said, "This is not a women's bill as it has nothing to do with empowerment of women."

"This bill is an attempt to change the country's electoral map, using and hiding behind India's women," he alleged.

Opposition members sought a clarification from Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal who was present in the Lok Sabha.

"The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in September2023 has come into force with being published in the Gazette only at 9.55pm last night.”

"It is shocking that the government brought amendments to a Constitutional provision that was not even published in the gazette! This shows the government’s unprepared and lackadaisical approach to serious lawmaking," Venugopal later posted on X.

He said this is also yet evidence that the treasury benches look at the Parliament as no more than a rubber stamp, not bothered about the procedures and protocol necessary for a fair legislative process.

An official has earlier explained that bringing the law into force was essential as its proposed amendment will not have come into effect without that.

The Constitution amendment Bill became a law but did not become part of the Constitution as the government did not bring it into force.

If a law does not come into force, how can its proposed amendment be implemented. Hence, it was brought into force with effect from 16 April, the official explained.