Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu condemned the Congress-led opposition after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha on January 31, saying it chose 'obstruction over progress'.
The minister stated opposing the Women’s Reservation Bill was equivalent to denying opportunities to millions of women nationwide. He described the bill as a move towards justice, dignity, and rightful representation.
Responding to an X post by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Ram Mohan Naidu said, “What we witnessed in the Lok Sabha today is deeply disappointing. At a time when India is taking bold steps to empower its women, the Congress-led opposition chose obstruction over progress. Opposing the Women’s Reservation Bill is not just political posturing, it is a direct denial of opportunity to millions of women across the country. This bill is about justice, dignity, and rightful representation. India’s daughters are watching, and they will not forget who stood with them and who stood in their way. History will remember this.”
Earlier, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy praised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and INC President Mallikarjun Kharge for their roles in averting what he termed a “national disaster” after the opposition defeated the bill.
In a post on X, Reddy called the event historic and described it as “a Red-letter Day.” He commended Congress leaders for uniting all opposition parties for the defeat of the bill.
He wrote, “Today will be remembered forever as a Red-letter Day in Indian History, when under the leadership of Shri @RahulGandhi Ji, Leader of Opposition, Lok Sabha, and Shri Mallikarjun @kharge Ji, united all democratic forces and opposition leaders in averting a national disaster.”
Reddy also expressed gratitude to the allied parties of the INDIA bloc and their leaders for opposing the “black bills.” He named leaders including Thiru MK Stalin, Ms Mamata Banerjee, Shri Akhilesh Yadav, Shri Sharad Pawar, Shri Uddhav Thackeray, Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav, Shri Hemant Soren, Shri Farooq Abdullah, Shri Naveen Patnaik, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and Communist party leaders.
The Constitution Amendment Bill, which sought to implement Women’s Reservation starting from the 2029 general elections, was defeated in the Lok Sabha with 298 members voting in favour and 230 against following a division after debate on three bills. Despite its defeat, the 2023 Women’s Reservation Act remains in effect, though its implementation is linked to a future census.