‘Shashi Tharoor accepted that Congress was anti-women’: Kiren Rijiju reveals post-Parliament session conversation

‘Shashi Tharoor accepted that Congress was anti-women’: Kiren Rijiju reveals post-Parliament session conversationKiren Rijiju's remarks come days after Shashi Tharoor shared a picture, clarifying how he pointed out to the minister that no one can call him “mahila virodhi”.Updated on: Apr 28, 2026 10:39 AM ISTWritten by Poorva JoshiShare viaCopy link Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said in an interview that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor “admitted” to him in a conversation after the Parliament session that his party is “anti-women”. In a conversation with news agency ANI, Rijiju shared what the two MPs spoke about during the photo op after the Parliament session.Congress leader Shashi Tharoor had shared a post-adjournment selfie (X/ShashiTharoor)“Shashi Tharoor said that Congress may be anti-women, but no woman would consider Shashi Tharoor anti-women,” Rijiju said, adding that he agreed with the assessment.When asked if Tharoor accepted that Congress anti-women, Rijiju replied: ‘That is what he meant…in a way he accepted that Congress is anti-women, and I also accepted that he isn’t anti-women but his party is."Tharoor's pic with ‘charming’ RijijuRijiju's remarks come in the backdrop of a picture Shashi Tharoor shared on April 18, clarifying how he pointed out to Kiren Rijiju that no one can call him “mahila virodhi” (anti-women). In a lighter vein, Tharoor had referred to Rijiju as a “charming” Parliamentary Affairs Minister as he posted the picture of a post-adjournment interaction."When @KirenRijiju explained why he & his party were calling the Opposition ‘mahila virodhi’, it was pointed out to him that no one could ever call me anti-women! He conceded the point…,” Tharoor had written.The Congress MP had heaped praise at women, but contended that their progress shouldn't be linked to a “potentially dangerous” delimitation.Women's quota bill fails to pass Lok SabhaThe Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to amend the women’s quota law was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier this month. However, with just 298 members voting in favour of its passager, the bill failed to get a special majority in the Parliament."The Constitution (131st Amendment) Amendment Bill did not pass as it did not achieve a 2/3 majority during voting in the House," Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had told the house.Reacting to the development, Kiren Rijiju had said that the bill's failure to pass was a loss for women. He had also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a meeting said that the Opposition, particularly Congress, will have to face the consequences of denying women their rights.Two other bills, meant for delimitation and increasing the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, were not put to vote in the Lower House after the 131st Amendment Bill failed for get two-thirds majorityConstitution Amendment BillShashi TharoorKiren RijijuCheck India news real-time updates, latest news from India and UK Board Result 2026News/India News/‘Shashi Tharoor Accepted That Congress Was Anti-women’: Kiren Rijiju Reveals Post-Parliament Session ConversationSee Less

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