Agartala | A political controversy broke out in Tripura on April 30 after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ratan Lal Nath called on women to identify and expose those opposing the proposed 131st Amendment Bill, while launching a sharp attack on opposition parties during a special Assembly session.

The remarks came during a one-day sitting of the Tripura Legislative Assembly held in support of the Nari Shakti Bandhan Adhiniyam, a proposed law aimed at strengthening women’s constitutional rights, development, and political participation.

Addressing the House, Nath described the issue as more than a routine legislative matter, calling it a historic responsibility tied to the future of Indian democracy.

“We are talking about the reintroduction of the bill. A motion has been moved to send a message to all political parties that the Tripura Legislative Assembly has held a discussion on the matter. This discussion is to strengthen and secure the constitutional and political rights of women,” he said.

He stressed that democracy cannot be complete without equal participation of women in governance. “In the Constitution, equal rights are mentioned, but are we in politics giving the same to women? That is why I am telling the opposition to adopt the bill and then see what happens,” Nath added.

The minister also launched a direct attack on opposition parties, claiming that both the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian National Congress would continue to lose political relevance.“No matter how good CPIM and Congress try to be, they will always remain infamous,” he said.

Referring to the Women’s Reservation Act passed in 2023, Nath said that legislation alone is not enough without timely implementation.

“The dream which the entire country is watching, we must fulfil it. Making a law alone cannot help; we have to implement it as soon as possible, and that is why the 131st Amendment Bill was introduced,” he said.

He further alleged that many opposition parties had resisted the move and urged them to study the provisions of the Bill before criticising it. In one of his strongest remarks, Nath appealed to women voters to publicly expose those opposing the amendment.

“Those who are opposing the 131st Amendment Bill should be identified and their real mask should be exposed before the people of the state,” he said. He also claimed that opposition parties were losing electoral ground due to their stance on women-centric reforms.

“The opposition is talking against women, and that is why they are losing seats in majority states and will become zero. In coming days, CPIM will become double zero,” he added.

The remarks are likely to sharpen political tensions in Tripura, where debates over women’s reservation, constitutional changes, and electoral representation are gaining momentum ahead of future elections.