Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday set out the Opposition's position on the Women's Reservation Bill, but in the middle of her hard-hitting press briefing, the tone briefly shifted when she paused to remember her husband Robert Vadra.
During the interaction, she paused mid-question session and said with a smile, "Today's my husband's birthday, please keep it a bit short," the Congress MP added, laughing lightly.
The remark instantly brought smiles in the room, including from Priyanka herself and others present. Her husband Robert Vadra turned 57 on Saturday, and the timing of the briefing coincided with the occasion.
Opposition flags 'intent' of the bill
Moving from the lighter exchange to political substance, Priyanka Gandhi questioned the intent of the BJP government behind the proposed legislation, alleging that it was being used to alter the federal structure under the guise of women's reservation.
"What happened yesterday was a big win for democracy. The conspiracy to change the federal structure (of the country) was defeated. It was a victory for the Constitution, opposition unity, and the country," she said.
Taking a sharper tone, she also referred to comments made by Home Minister Amit Shah during the Lok Sabha debate.
"When Home Minister Amit Shah was speaking in the Lok Sabha on Friday, he said the Congress will not be able to sit on the treasury benches for years, which shows their mindset," she said.
Allegations over delimitation
Priyanka Gandhi further alleged that the proposal was linked to political calculations around delimitation and staying in power until 2029.
"The whole conspiracy was to stay in power. They thought that if delimitation is not done now, it would not be done before 2029 to stay in power," she said.
She added that the government was attempting to frame the narrative around women's empowerment while pursuing its own agenda.
"They thought that if the bill passes, it is fine. If it fails, we will project the Opposition as anti-women and become the messiah of women."
Emphasising Opposition unity, she said, "The Opposition could not have supported the move. It showed that the Opposition can defeat them when united," she added.
Bill defeat in Lok Sabha
Her remarks came a day after a major setback for the government in the Lok Sabha, where the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill – aimed at providing 33% reservation for women in legislatures – failed to clear the two-thirds majority requirement.
While 298 MPs voted in favour, 230 voted against it. Out of 528 members who participated, the Bill required 352 votes to pass.
The proposal also included increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census, alongside corresponding expansion in state and Union Territory assemblies.
Following the defeat of the Bill, the Congress termed the result a "win for democracy and the Constitution" and said the government's approach had been "decisively defeated" in the House.
