Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday strongly criticized the government over the women’s reservation bill in Parliament, calling it an attempt to alter the country’s electoral map while using women as a cover.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Gandhi argued that the 131st Amendment Bill introduced in the House is different from the legislation passed in 2023 and does not genuinely address women’s reservation. He said there are certain truths that must be acknowledged, asserting that the current bill has nothing to do with empowering women.
Drawing a distinction between the two proposals, the Leader of the Opposition pointed out that a women’s reservation bill had already been passed in 2023, with the assurance that it would be implemented within ten years. According to him, that legislation represented the real commitment to women’s reservation, whereas the present bill is aimed at redrawing India’s electoral landscape.
He accused the government of hiding behind the issue of women’s empowerment and said the opposition would fully support the earlier bill if it were brought back for immediate implementation. Gandhi added that passing such a measure would be straightforward and would receive unanimous backing from opposition members.
Outlining what he described as three key concerns, Gandhi claimed that the government’s approach is intended to bypass caste considerations and reduce representation for Other Backward Classes and other marginalized communities. He said the effort is focused on denying these groups their share of political power.
He further alleged that the government is attempting to disconnect caste census data from representation for the next decade or more. Gandhi also expressed concern that the proposed changes could reduce representation for southern states, adding that the opposition would resist any such move.
