Issue was not women's reservation but Modi preservation: Congress slams govt

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said the striking down of the Modi government's delimitation push in the garb of women's quota was a defeat of "bulldozer politics" and that the Centre's agenda was not women's reservation but Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "preservation".

The opposition party also demanded that the Centre immediately implement the women's quota on the existing Lok Sabha strength by bringing a bill in Parliament's Monsoon Session or May-end.

The Congress asserted that women would not be fooled by the "BJP propaganda" on the women's quota issue as they know that the ruling party wants to push its political agenda in their name.

The Congress' assertion came days after the government's Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to implement women's quota and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh told PTI that the defeat of the government's "nefarious" designs to push delimitation in the garb of women's reservation was a victory of the Constitution and democracy.

"It was the defeat of the politics of bulldozer and a rushed delimitation. The Bill was not about women's reservation but one of pushing delimitation through deceit," Ramesh said.

He said the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed unanimously in September 2023, but it was not implemented despite Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge demanding that it be implemented from the 2024 general elections.

"Suddenly, the bill (Act) was notified on the night of 16th April. This reflects the seriousness of the BJP about women's reservation in legislatures. They kept sleeping for 30 months," he added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was giving the assurance that no state would lose out and seats would be increased in a manner that the proportionality is maintained, but why was this not part of the Bill, Ramesh asked.

"He (Shah) was asking the opposition to trust him. How can we trust someone who says something, but the Bill doesn't mention it in black and white?" the Congress leader asked.

"The issue was not women's reservation but Modi preservation," Ramesh told PTI.

He alleged that the government wants to put the caste census in cold storage.

The Congress reiterates its demand that an all-party meeting be called after April 29, when polling for the second phase of West Bengal polls is over, and the government place before the parties its proposals in writing, he said.

"We demand immediate implementation of women's reservation in the legislatures on the current strength of the Lok Sabha. The government must bring an amendment bill during the Monsoon session or in May-end if it wants to do it before that," Ramesh said.

On Modi's assertion that women will give a befitting reply to the Congress and other opposition parties, Ramesh said women will not be fooled by the "BJP propaganda" as they know that it was the Congress that provided reservation to women in panchayats and nagar palikas, and has been fighting for their cause consistently.

"We demand that the government implement reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 and include OBC women too," he said.

While 298 members voted in support of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of the 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.

The Bill proposed to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats to 816 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.

Seats were also to be increased in assemblies of states and Union territories to accommodate 33 per cent reservation for women.