‘No details, no meaningful negotiations’: Haq writes to PM Modi on delimitation

New Delhi: President of Congress Malikajun Hager Written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modiexpressed concern over the way the Center is handling delimitation discussions related to the women’s reservation law and urged a wider political discussion after the ongoing assembly elections.In his letter, Hager reiterated the opposition’s demand for an all-party meeting to be held after April 29 to consider the issue. His remarks were in response to the government’s decision to convene a special session of Parliament from April 16 to 18 to discuss the amendments related to Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.“I have just received your letter regarding the special session of Parliament which will commence on April 16 on the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam issue… The convening of this special session does not make us lose confidence that your government is once again seeking our cooperation without revealing any details about the demarcation,” Hager wrote.He added, “You will understand that without the details of demarcation and other aspects, it is impossible to have any useful discussion of this historic law.”The Congress president also questioned the government’s suggestion that it had consulted political parties beforehand. “You mentioned in your letter that your government has engaged in dialogue with various political parties on this matter. However, I am painfully aware that this is inconsistent with the facts, as all opposition parties have been urging the government to convene an all-party meeting after the current round of elections on April 29, 2026, to discuss the constitutional amendments under consideration,” he said.Hager further criticized the timing of the special session, noting that it coincides with the ongoing state election. “Convening a special session during an ongoing state election only reinforces the belief that your administration is rushing to implement this bill for political gain rather than to truly empower women,” he wrote.He finally reiterated the position of the opposition party, saying that if the government is serious about strengthening democracy and “moving forward together and taking everyone with us”, it should convene an all-party meeting after April 29 to discuss the demarcation process related to the amendment to the Women’s Reservation Act.