'Chankaya would've been startled by your political shrewdness': Priyanka Gandhi to Amit Shah

In a moment of banter inside the Parliament, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday took on Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying even Chanakya would have been startled by the BJP leader's "political shrewdness", if he were alive today.

During a Constitutional amendment debate in the Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi accused the government of "duping" people and launching a "big attack on the country's integrity”.

"On the one hand there is this big talk of women's reservation, and on the other hand, the rights of OBCs are being taken away. A strong structure is being erected for the next polls by reducing the influence of small states, shredding democracy to pieces," Priyanka alleged, pointing at Amit Shah, who was seen smiling.

"The home minister is laughing… He has made this full scheme. Had Chankaya been alive, he would have been startled by your political shrewdness (‘rajnaitik kutilta’). He (Shah) made the whole plan, and he is laughing now… He agrees with me," the Wayanad MP said.

Further, Priyanka claimed that the plan involved calling a sitting of the Parliament during elections, not calling for an all-party meeting, sharing the draft of the bill just a day before the sitting so that the opposition does not get a chance to deliberate on it, starting a discussion in media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to take a big step for women's empowerment and put the opposition in a bind.

"Women's reservation on one hand, and independence to change the structure and neglect the OBC section on the other. It is one thing to be shrewd in politics, and probably we should be a bit more shrewd on this side of the aisle, but it’s another thing to take the right decision in national interest, keeping aside the aspirations to remain in power," Priyanka Gandhi said.

During her speech, she also took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that from his remarks, it appeared as though the BJP is the sole champion of women's reservation.

"Any woman will tell you that women can instantly spot men who repeatedly try to mislead them," she said.

The Congress MP added, "When the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in 2023, the Congress extended its full support to it, in alignment with its core ideology. There should be no doubt whatsoever that the Congress stands firmly in favour of women's reservation.”

(With PTI inputs)