NEW DELHI, APRIL 17 — During a heated debate in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Rahul Gandhi accused the central government of attempting a “power grab” by linking the implementation of women’s reservation to a fresh delimitation exercise. The Congress leader affirmed that the move constitutes an assault on the federal structure and warned that it could lead to the marginalization of several states and communities.
Gandhi asserted that the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which was passed by Parliament in 2023, is already part of the Constitution and should be enacted without the introduction of new conditions. He stated that the government’s attempt to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats through the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill is a tactic to reshape the political landscape of India for the next 15 years. He described the potential loss of representation for southern and northeastern states as “hissa chori,” or the theft of their rightful share in governance.
The Leader of the Opposition noted that the government’s refusal to include an OBC quota within the reservation framework remains a significant flaw. He declared that without a caste census, the bill fails to represent the true diversity of India’s population. He maintained that the ruling party is more concerned with narrative management than with the functional empowerment of women from all backgrounds.
“The issue today is not women’s reservation,” Gandhi stated, affirming that the principle of reserving seats for women has already been settled. Instead, he maintained that the real concern is the “arbitrary” nature of the proposed delimitation. He declared that the haste to pass far-reaching changes to the polity without a public debate is deeply flawed and ignores the population disparities between different regions of the country.
The session, which saw significant interruptions, reflected the deep divide between the treasury benches and the opposition. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that representation for southern states will remain intact, Gandhi maintained that the lack of transparency regarding the delimitation criteria remains a threat to the Constitution. He concluded by affirming that the opposition would continue to demand a fair and inclusive process that does not compromise the rights of any state.
