India News

Women’s Reservation Bill: Kiren Rijiju Takes Swipe At Rahul Gandhi’s Video

Kiren Rijiju called Rahul Gandhi’s women empowerment message positive but questioned whether it reflected a “change of heart” in Congress.

Published

1 month ago

August 8, 2026

APNLive Desk

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a swipe at Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his recent message on women’s freedom and empowerment, linking the Congress leader’s remarks to the long-pending debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Rahul Gandhi, in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, spoke about the need to bring women “back into the conversation” and allow them to pursue what they want.

Responding to the video, Kiren Rijiju described the message as positive but suggested that it reflected a “change of heart” within the Congress.

Kiren Rijiju links Rahul Gandhi’s message to women’s quota

“Now, I hope Congress Party will support the Women’s Reservation Bill unconditionally,” Rijiju posted on X while reacting to Gandhi’s video.

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

Rijiju said Gandhi’s remarks appeared to represent a change in the Congress leader’s position on women.

“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,” the Parliamentary Affairs Minister said in his post.

He then used the opportunity to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill and urged the Congress to support it without conditions.

Congress, Centre differ over delimitation and women’s quota

The exchange comes against the backdrop of differences between the Congress and the Centre over the proposed delimitation exercise and its connection with the implementation of women’s reservation.

Congress and other opposition parties have been opposing the government’s proposed delimitation legislation and have called for the 33 per cent reservation for women to be implemented based on the current strength of Parliament.

The government has been seeking to increase the number of seats in Parliament and state Assemblies as part of the process for implementing the women’s quota. The 33 per cent reservation for women had earlier been passed unanimously by Parliament.

What Rahul Gandhi said about women’s freedom

Rahul Gandhi’s Friday Instagram video followed his response during a Thursday “Ask Me Anything” session, in which he was asked about young women fighting for their right to study.

Gandhi had said that “India’s women are our strength, our biggest asset” and expressed dissatisfaction with the way women are treated in the country, including in education and corporate systems.

In his subsequent video, Gandhi said the energy of Indian women was being restricted and that they were not always allowed to express themselves or imagine freely.

He argued that India could not fully succeed without women being able to express themselves.

Gandhi said women’s empowerment should not be limited to succeeding in business or politics. According to him, women should also be able to express their views at home and move freely on the streets.

He further spoke about women being able to question their parents, husbands, brothers and others, arguing that greater freedom from patriarchy and rigid control was necessary for India’s development.

The remarks subsequently drew Rijiju’s response, with the minister connecting Gandhi’s message on women’s empowerment to the political debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Up Next

Tamil Nadu to pass Assembly resolution against delimitation after all-party meet

Don't Miss

US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill, India-China face 100% tariff risk

India News

Nandigram bypoll: Congress candidate arrested hours after Mamata’s support

Congress’s Nandigram bypoll candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced support for his candidature.

Published

1 hour ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Congress candidate Milan Pradhan has been arrested in West Bengal in connection with an old murder case, hours after Mamata Banerjee announced that her faction would support his candidature in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The arrest came on Friday, September 18, after Mamata Banerjee announced at a press conference at her Kalighat residence that her faction would back the Congress candidate in Nandigram.

Why was Milan Pradhan arrested?

According to the available report, Milan Pradhan was arrested in connection with an old alleged murder case. The report does not provide further details about the case, including the alleged incident, the sections invoked or the circumstances of the arrest.

The arrest therefore comes at a significant point in the Nandigram bypoll, with Pradhan having emerged as the Congress candidate after a series of political developments in the constituency.

Why did Mamata Banerjee support the Congress candidate?

Mamata Banerjee announced support for the Congress candidate after Sanchita Pradhan Dey, who had been fielded by her faction, withdrew from the Nandigram contest.

According to the report, Pradhan Dey withdrew her candidature after a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Mamata subsequently announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the October 6 Nandigram Assembly bypoll.

The development placed Milan Pradhan at the centre of the latest political developments surrounding the Nandigram election.

Nandigram bypoll scheduled for October 6

The Nandigram Assembly bypoll is scheduled for October 6. The constituency has drawn attention ahead of the election following changes involving candidates and the political support announced by Mamata Banerjee’s faction.

With Milan Pradhan’s arrest now reported, the Congress candidate’s legal case is likely to become another important development in the run-up to the bypoll.

India News

Mamata Banerjee’s Nandigram candidate withdraws from bypoll

Sanchita Pradhan Dey withdrew from the Nandigram bypoll after meeting West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, with Mamata Banerjee later announcing support for Congress.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

Sanchita Pradhan Dey, the candidate fielded by Mamata Banerjee’s faction of the Trinamool Congress for the Nandigram Assembly bypoll, has withdrawn from the contest.

The development came a day after the Election Commission announced that the rival Trinamool factions would not be allowed to use the party’s existing name and symbol for the upcoming bypolls. The poll panel later allotted new names and symbols to the two factions.

Dey had been announced as the Mamata faction’s Nandigram candidate on Sunday. She is a teacher in Nandigram who had lost her job following the cancellation of the appointments of 26,000 teachers in connection with an alleged recruitment scam.

Sanchita Pradhan Dey met Suvendu Adhikari

According to sources, Dey met West Bengal Chief Minister and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday. A photograph of the meeting also emerged.

Her withdrawal was announced on Friday afternoon as Mamata Banerjee was addressing a press conference over the Election Commission’s decision concerning the Trinamool factions.

With Dey no longer in the contest, Banerjee announced that her faction would support the Congress candidate in the Nandigram bypoll.

Banerjee said the decision had been taken within her party and that she had spoken with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while noting that the Congress had not been informed about the decision at that point.

New names and symbols for Trinamool factions

The Election Commission has allotted the name Mamata All India Trinamool Congress and the Football Player symbol to the faction led by Mamata Banerjee.

The rival faction led by Arup Roy has been allotted the name Democratic Trinamool Congress and the Envelope symbol.

The Nandigram and Rejinagar bypolls are scheduled for October 6, with counting set for October 9.

India News

BJP convoy attacked in Punjab ahead of anti-drug campaign launch

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that his convoy was attacked near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway in Punjab while he was travelling to Pathankot for a BJP anti-drug event.

Published

2 hours ago

September 18, 2026

APNLive Desk

BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu has alleged that his convoy was attacked in Punjab while he was travelling towards Pathankot to attend a party event.

According to Bittu, the incident took place near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, where a group of people allegedly threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at his convoy.

The incident occurred as Bittu was travelling to Pathankot for an anti-drug campaign being launched by BJP president Nitin Nabin.

What happened to Ravneet Bittu’s convoy?

Bittu’s convoy, comprising around eight to nine vehicles, came under attack near the Batala-Gurdaspur highway, according to his account.

He alleged that protesters threw eggs, tomatoes and other objects at the vehicles. Bittu further claimed that the windows of two escort vehicles were broken and that a jammer vehicle was also damaged.

The protesters also reportedly blocked the road, making it difficult for the convoy to continue towards Pathankot.

The incident took place near an area where the ‘Babe da viyah’ festival was being celebrated.

Three protesters reportedly caught

Bittu’s office said his security team caught three people who were allegedly involved in the incident.

His office further alleged that the three were linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, the allegation was denied by the AAP.

AAP leader Joban Randhawa said the party’s workers were protesting peacefully and alleged that Bittu’s supporters had targeted them.

The competing claims have not been independently established in the report.

What did Ravneet Singh Bittu say?

Bittu said he had informed the Union Home Ministry about the incident. He also held Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s Director General of Police responsible for his safety in the event of any harm to him or people associated with him.

His office called for an investigation into the incident and raised concerns about the safety of political leaders and workers.

Why was Bittu travelling to Pathankot?

Ravneet Singh Bittu was travelling to Pathankot to attend the BJP’s anti-drug campaign event. BJP president Nitin Nabin was scheduled to launch the campaign in Pathankot.

The incident occurred amid preparations for the BJP’s political activities in Punjab ahead of the state’s next Assembly election.

Who is Ravneet Singh Bittu?

Ravneet Singh Bittu is a BJP leader and former Union minister. He served as Minister of State for Railways and Minister of State for Food Processing Industries before resigning from the Union Council of Ministers in July 2026.

His tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP had ended in June 2026.