"Implement Women Quota Now": Rahul Gandhi's Reply To Kiren Rijiju's Swipe

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju engaged in a verbal duel on social media on Saturday morning. While Rijiju took a swipe at Gandhi's video message on women power asking the Congress to support the Women's Reservation Bill, Rahul Gandhi hit back asking why hasn't the government implemented the law that was passed in 2023.

In a video of Friday, Rahul Gandhi had said that it is important to bring women "back into the conversation and allow them to do what they want to do".

Responding to Gandhi's video, Rijiju called it a "positive message" and wondered it there has been a "change of heart".

"This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There's a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women," Rijiju posted on X.

He then slipped in Women Reservation question for the Leader of Opposition in his post.

"Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women's Reservation Bill unconditionally," Rijiju added.

This seems to be a positive message from the Congress Party. There's a visible change of heart in Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji about the Women. Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women's Reservation Bill unconditionally. https://t.co/nSzH2C6Orf

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 8, 2026

In a quick repartee, Rahul Gandhi hit back at Rijiju asking why is Centre linking women's reservation to delimitation?

"Mr. Rijiju, who would know better than you, as the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs-that the Women's Reservation Bill 2023 has already been passed unanimously, with the full support of the Congress. The question is, why has it still not been implemented even after three years, and why do you now want to unnecessarily link it to delimitation?" the Leader of Opposition posted on X in reply to Rijijus post.

He then demanded that the Centre implement women's reservation.

"Implement the 2023 law. Without any conditions," Gandhi added.

रिजिजू जी, संसदीय कार्य मंत्री होने के नाते आपसे बेहतर यह कौन जानता होगा - महिला आरक्षण विधेयक 2023 में ही सर्वसम्मति से पारित हो चुका है, कांग्रेस के पूर्ण समर्थन के साथ।

सवाल यह है कि तीन साल बाद भी वह लागू क्यों नहीं हुआ और अब आप उसे परिसीमन से बेवजह क्यों जोड़ना चाहते हैं?… https://t.co/1HeBna8v8L

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 8, 2026

Congress and the Centre have been at loggerheads over the government's push for Delimitation Bill and clubbing of the Women's Reservation with it. Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the Delimitation Bill and want women's quota to be implemented in the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been trying to push the bill to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies to implement the 33% women quota which was earlier passed by Parliament unanimously.

Rahul Gandhi's remarks in an Instagram post on Friday came as an addition to his reply made during his Thursday's "Ask Me Anything" session.

Gandhi on Friday said: "I was thinking to myself that the energy of India's women is trapped, is not allowed to express itself, is not allowed to imagine.

"To me, no country can be successful if the women in that country are not expressing themselves. I think a lot of my politics and a lot of what politics should be in this country is in making people understand that our country is stunted, incomplete, without the expression of our women," Gandhi said in his video on Instagram.

"The energy of India's women is trapped. It is not allowed to express itself. It is not allowed to imagine. For me, no country can be successful if its women are not expressing themselves.

And I think a lot of my politics, and a lot of what politics should be in this country, is… pic.twitter.com/qo3P42kurY

— Congress (@INCIndia) August 7, 2026

The Congress leader asserted that it is not just about women doing well in business or in the political system, but about them being able to express themselves in their homes and walk the streets comfortably.

"That is them putting a point of view that many others don't agree with, that is them questioning their parents, their husbands, their brothers, sisters, whatever. So a certain amount of freedom from this patriarchy, from the rigid control that India's men impose on their women, is required if India has to really develop," the Congress MP said.

Gandhi, on Thursday, was asked about his message to the young women fighting for their right to study, to which he had responded: "India's women are our strength, our biggest asset." The Congress leader expressed his dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, in its education system, and in its corporate system.