Time has come to implement Women's Reservation Act: PM Modi's letter to LS, RS floor leaders
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New Delhi (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the time has come for the implementation of the Women's Reservation Act in its true spirit and the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with the quota for women in place.
In a letter to the floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, ahead of the three-day special sittings of Parliament, Modi also asked all members to come together in one voice to pass the amendments to the women's reservation law, officially known as Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
"After extensive deliberations, we have reached the conclusion that the time has now come to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in its true spirit across the country.
"It is imperative that the 2029 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections are conducted with women's reservation in place," the Prime Minister said in his letter dated April 11.
The Budget Session of Parliament has been extended, and a special three-day sitting of the House has been convened on April 16 to 18.
The Women's Reservation Act 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 the Lok Sabha and state assemblies was brought by amending the Constitution in 2023.
However, the women's quota would have come into effect only after the completion of the delimitation exercise on the basis of the 2027 Census. This meant the reservation would not have become enforceable before 2034 if the present law remains as is.
To implement it from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, changes were needed in the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam; hence, the government is holding a special session to pass the amendments to the law.
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Privilege action: Comedian Kamra points to Bal Thackeray's cartoon on Indira Gandhi
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Mumbai (PTI): Questioning the Maharashtra legislature's action against him, stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra has cited Bal Thackeray's cartoon criticising then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to argue that the late Shiv Sena founder never faced privilege proceedings.
Kamra has been served with a breach of privilege notice over his satirical song targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who claims to be carrying forward the political legacy of Bal Thackeray.
The comedian has shared on X a screenshot of his recent written deposition submitted to the legislature's privileges committee, in which he also included Bal Thackeray's cartoon, while responding to remarks by state minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik.
Reacting to the privilege proceedings, Sarnaik on Saturday told reporters that, "Kunal Kamra, whatever he says, a breach of privilege motion has been referred to a committee by members of the legislative assembly, and he is giving his statement through that committee."
"But if his business is to sing songs about Eknath Shinde in a different way, then he should also understand the aggressive approach of Shiv Sainiks, as seen in the past. He should understand how Shiv Sainiks work, and he can learn about it if he wants," the minister added.
Kamra reposted Sarnaik's video on X along with a portion of his written reply, defending political satire and questioning the use of legislative privilege against comedians.
"Over the last year, I have faced multiple proceedings for a joke that I made about a fight for the political legacy of one of India's most fiery and acclaimed political cartoonists, Balasaheb Thackeray," Kamra said in his deposition.
He noted that Bal Thackeray had mocked several figures of authority, including sitting prime ministers, without facing privilege action.
Referring to the cartoon targeting Indira Gandhi, Kamra argued that defending Bal Thackeray's political legacy should include protecting the freedom of cartoonists and satirists. He added that political satire formed the foundation of the ideology that Eknath Shinde claims to inherit.
Kamra further expressed hope that the proceedings would highlight "little-known provisions of the Constitution" relating to legislative privilege that could be used by elected leaders to curb citizens' freedoms.
"The fact that in a 21st-century democracy, elected representatives have the power to institute proceedings against citizens who say things they don't like, and the power to condemn them to imprisonment for such speech, is something that should concern every citizen," he said.
Earlier, Kamra had refused to tender an unconditional apology in the case, calling such a move "insincere" and warning it would set a "terrible precedent" for artistic freedom.
Privileges committee chairperson Prasad Lad has said the panel would decide the matter based on Kamra's response.
The comedian appeared before the panel following a complaint by BJP MLC Pravin Darekar, alleging that Kamra insulted Shinde in a stand-up act and his remarks amounted to a breach of privilege.
During a performance in Mumbai last year, Kamra had used a modified version of a Hindi song from the movie ‘Dil To Pagal Hai’ to describe the upheaval in the Shiv Sena, then headed by Uddhav Thackeray.
Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in June 2022, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena and the collapse of the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
During a show at a hotel in Mumbai's Khar area, Kamra performed a parody song targeting Shinde. After he uploaded a recording online, Shiv Sena supporters led by Rahool Kanal vandalised the venue and the hotel housing it in March 2025.
An FIR had been registered against Kamra at Khar police station on a complaint by Shiv Sena legislator Murji Patel, accusing him of making defamatory remarks against the deputy chief minister.
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