'Congress-led opposition chose obstruction over progress': Union Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on defeat of Constitution Amendment Bill

New Delhi [India], April 18 : Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu on Friday criticised the Congress-led opposition after the Constitution Amendment Bill was defeated in the Lok Sabha, saying it chose "obstruction over progress".

The Union Minister further said that opposing the Women's Reservation Bill amounted to denying opportunities to millions of women nationwide, adding that the bill was a step toward justice, dignity, and rightful representation.

Responding to a post on X by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, the Union Minister 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 on Friday lauded Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and INC President Mallikarjun Kharge for their leadership in averting "national disaster" after the opposition defeated the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha.

In a post on X, Reddy recognised it as a historic event, calling it "a Red-letter Day." He appreciated Congress' top brass for uniting all opposition parties for the landmark verdict."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," he wrote.

Furthermore, he hailed the allied parties of the INDIA bloc and their leaders for their opposition to the "black bills."

"I thank leaders of various allied parties who united and stood steadfast under fire to defeat these black bills, including Thiru MK Stalin garu, Ms Mamata Banerjee Ji, Shri Akhilesh Yadav ji, Shri Sharad Pawar ji, Shri Uddhav Thackeray Ji , Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav ji, Shri Hemant Soren ji, Shri Farooq Abdullah Ji, Shri Naveen Patnaik ji, Shri Arvind Kejriwal ji, and the leaders of the Communist parties, among others," he added.

This comes as the Constitution Amendment Bill for the implementation of Women's Reservation from the 2029 general elections was defeated in the Lok Sabha earlier, with the opposition parties voting against it.

In the division that took place following the debate on the three bills, 298 members supported the bill while 230 voted against it.

Despite the bill's defeat, the 2023 Women's Reservation Act remains on the books, though its implementation continues to be tied to the future census.

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