Indian democracy will be stronger, vibrant if women quota implemented in 2029: PM Modi
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New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that Indian democracy will be become stronger and vibrant if elections to Lok Sabha and various assemblies in 2029 are held with the women's reservation fully in place.
In a letter to the women of the country, Modi also said that with women excelling in several fields, it is only fitting that there is an increase in the participation of women in legislative bodies.
He said the amendments to the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' should be passed in the three-day special sittings of Parliament, beginning April 16, and any further delay will be unfortunate and a gross injustice to the women of India.
"Our democracy will become stronger and more vibrant if the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and various Assembly elections that year are held with women's reservation fully in place," he said in the letter posted on his personal handle of X.
The prime minister said the daughters of India cannot be asked to wait endlessly for what is rightfully theirs.
"When the voice of women becomes stronger in our legislatures, the voice of democracy itself becomes stronger," he said.
"I seek your blessings and the blessings of crores of women across the length and breadth of India for the upcoming Parliament sitting and for the passage of the constitutional amendment. I urge you all to write to your local MPs and encourage them as they participate in this historic Parliament sitting," Modi said.
In September 2023, Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, marking a significant step towards enhancing women's representation in legislative bodies.
The Act provided for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies.
The amendments to the Women's Reservation Act, when passed, will ensure an increase in the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816, of which 273 will be reserved for women.
The provision to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies was brought by amending the Constitution in 2023.
Under the current law, the reservation for women would not have become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post 2027 Census.
To implement it from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, changes were needed in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam; hence, the government is holding special sitting to pass the amendments to the law.
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Stark reality of 'Viksit Bharat': Rahul slams govt over Noida workers' protest
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New Delhi (PTI): A day after the workers' protest turned violent in Noida, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said what unfolded on the streets was the "final cry" of this nation's workers and said the burden of US tariff wars, global inflation and fractured supply chains has not fallen upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "industrialist friends" but squarely upon the daily-wage labourer.
The Leader of Opposition said he stands with every worker who is the backbone of this country, and whom the Modi government has "come to view as a burden".
"What unfolded on the streets of Noida yesterday was the final cry of this nation's workers - a voice that went unheard at every turn, a voice weary from ceaseless pleading," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
A labourer working in Noida earns a monthly wage of Rs 12,000, yet faces a monthly rent burden of Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,000, the former Congress chief said.
By the time they receive a meager annual increment of Rs 300, their landlord has already hiked the rent by Rs 500, he pointed out.
"Before their wages can catch up, this unbridled inflation strangles life, plunging them into the depths of debt- this is the stark reality of 'Viksit Bharat'," Gandhi said.
"As one female worker remarked, 'Gas prices keep rising, but our wages do not'. In the midst of this gas crisis, these individuals have likely had to purchase a single cylinder for as much as Rs 5,000 just to keep the stoves in their homes burning," Gandhi said.
This is not merely an issue confined to Noida, nor is it an issue unique to India alone, fuel prices are skyrocketing across the globe and supply chains have been disrupted due to the conflict in West Asia, he said.
"However, the burden of America's tariff wars, global inflation, and fractured supply chains has not fallen upon Modi Ji's 'industrialist friends'. The heaviest blow has landed squarely upon the daily-wage labourer - the one who must earn each day just to eat that same day," Gandhi said.
"The labourer who played no part in any war, who drafted no policies, who simply did his work. Silently. Without complaint. And what does he receive in return when he demands his rightful dues? Coercion and oppression," the Congress leader said.
Another critical issue is that the Modi government, in a hasty and unilateral move, implemented four new Labour Codes effective November 2025, thereby extending the standard workday to 12 hours, he said.
"Is the demand of a labourer, who stands and works for 12 hours every single day, yet still has to borrow money to pay his children's school fees, truly unreasonable? And is the one who systematically denies him his rights each day truly delivering 'development'?" Gandhi said.
Noting that labourers of Noida are demanding a wage of Rs 20,000, Gandhi said this is not greed, it is his right, the sole foundation of his life.
"I stand with every worker who is the backbone of this country, and whom this government has come to view as a burden," Gandhi said.
Vehicles, including police SUVs, were torched, public property vandalised, and stone-pelting reported from industrial hubs in Noida on Monday as protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent, paralysing traffic.
The Uttar Pradesh Police used mild force to disperse the agitators and later registered FIRs against two X handles, charging them with spreading rumours linked to the unrest. The state government also formed a special panel to address the crisis.
Violence was first reported in the afternoon, with sporadic stone-pelting and vandalism continuing till 5 pm. No major incidents of arson or violence were reported thereafter, officials said.
The unrest, which began in the morning, left thousands of commuters stranded on key routes leading to Delhi during peak hours. Long queues of vehicles stretching several kilometres were reported at the Delhi-Noida border, with major congestion at Sector 62, National Highway-24, Sector 63 and the Chilla border. Protesters blocked key routes, including stretches connecting Sector 62 to Sector 16 and NH-9.
Officials said a large number of workers from industrial units in Phase-2 and Sector 60 gathered to press for long-pending wage revision demands and raised slogans.
Similar protests were reported from Sector 62 and Sector 84, including at a Motherson company unit. NH-9, a key link between Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, was also blocked.
The protests soon escalated, with some protesters torching vehicles, vandalising property and pelting stones.
Officials said workers had been mobilising support for their demands on a wage hike and better working conditions in factories over the last two days. However, it was not clear what sparked the violence during the protest.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh on Tuesday said that more than 300 individuals had been arrested and seven FIRs registered in connection with the workers' protest that turned violent in Noida.
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