Rijiju targets Rahul Gandhi over zero women in K'taka Cabinet
Synopsis
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju challenged Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, pointing to the reported absence of women in Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar's cabinet as evidence of a contradiction in Congress's stated support for the 33% women's reservation law.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju directly addressed Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, August 8, 2026 , questioning Congress's credibility on women's political representation.
Rijiju claimed there is no woman in the Karnataka cabinet headed by DK Shivakumar .
The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) reserves one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women — but does not cover cabinet appointments.
BJP has consistently used state-level cabinet compositions in Congress-ruled states to challenge the opposition on gender equity.
Congress has not yet publicly responded to Rijiju's specific claim about the Karnataka cabinet.
A pointed political jab landed on Saturday when Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju turned a national debate on women's reservation into a direct challenge for the Congress, asking why Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's Karnataka Cabinet has no women — and why Rahul Gandhi has stayed silent about it.
Rijiju's post, addressed directly to Gandhi, stated: 'Also, a reminder to Rahul Gandhi Ji, there's no woman in Karnataka DK Shivakumar's Cabinet! This raises serious questions over Congress's stand on 33% Women quota.'
The reservation law versus the cabinet reality
The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 — formally the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam — mandates that one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies be reserved for women. Crucially, the law covers elected seats, not executive appointments. Cabinet berths remain entirely at a chief minister's discretion.
That legal distinction, however, is precisely what makes Rijiju's challenge politically sharp: if the spirit of the law is greater women's representation in governance, critics argue, the composition of a ruling party's own cabinet is a fair measure of intent. A cabinet with zero women hands the opposition a ready-made argument — and BJP has moved quickly to use it.
BJP's pattern of holding Congress to its own standard
This is not an isolated broadside. BJP figures have routinely spotlighted state-level cabinet compositions in Congress-governed states to question the party's commitment to gender equity — particularly since the 2023 Act was passed under a BJP-led central government and championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a landmark for women's empowerment.
The tactic is straightforward: force Congress to defend a gap between its public advocacy on women's rights and the actual numbers inside its own governments. With Karnataka — a Congress showpiece win since 2023 — in the crosshairs, the pressure lands where it is most visible.
Whether Congress responds with a cabinet reshuffle, a counter-argument, or silence will determine how long this particular spotlight stays on Bengaluru.
Point of View
And any evidence of Congress failing to mirror its spirit in executive appointments keeps that trophy polished. The legal distinction between reserved legislative seats and discretionary cabinet appointments gives Congress a technical defence, but political optics rarely reward technical defences. How Karnataka's Congress leadership responds — or doesn't — will signal whether this exchange stays a one-day skirmish or becomes a sustained pressure point.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kiren Rijiju say about Rahul Gandhi and Karnataka?
Rijiju reminded Rahul Gandhi that there is reportedly no woman in the Karnataka cabinet led by DK Shivakumar, arguing this contradicts Congress's stated support for the 33% women's reservation quota.
Does the Women's Reservation Act apply to state cabinets?
No. The Women's Reservation Act, 2023 (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) reserves one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women, but cabinet appointments remain at the discretion of the chief minister and are not covered by the law.
Who is DK Shivakumar?
DK Shivakumar is a senior Karnataka Congress leader who serves as Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, which has been governed by the Congress party since its 2023 state election victory.
Why is BJP raising the issue of women in Congress cabinets?
BJP has consistently highlighted the cabinet compositions of Congress-governed states to challenge the opposition's credibility on gender representation, especially since the Women's Reservation Act was a central legislative achievement of the BJP-led central government.
What is the Women's Reservation Act 2023?
Formally called the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, the act was passed in 2023 and mandates that one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies be reserved for women, though its implementation is linked to a delimitation exercise.
