In a recent Parliament discussion on the Women Reservation Bill, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge made remarks about the low literacy rate among women from scheduled castes. He suggested that political parties tend to choose women who are less educated, leading to controversy in the Parliament. During the discussion, Mallikarjun Kharge stated, "The literacy rate of women from scheduled castes is low, and that's why political parties often select women who are not well-educated and may not be strong candidates." In response to Kharge's comments, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman defended the government's efforts in empowering women and cited President Droupadi Murmu as an example of an empowered woman. The remarks by Kharge stirred a heated debate in the Parliament.
