'Nothing to do with women's reservation': Congress' Rahul Gandhi calls delimitation move as 'attempted power grab'

Rahul Gandhi said the Congress wants the government to use the data of Census 2027, which has started, as caste count will also be taken up.

New Delhi: Claiming that the proposed delimitation has nothing to do with the implementation of 33 per cent women's quota, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said it is an "attempted power grab" through redrawing constituencies and "gerrymandering".

In a video posted on his social media handles, Rahul said the Bill to amend the Constitution seeking to increase number of Lok Sabha seats to 850 for early implementation of women's is an attempt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "snatch" the rights of OBCs, as he wants to use Census 2011 that contains no such data.

"The Prime Minister does not want this decision to be taken based on a new Census, a Caste Census, or an OBC Census. He wants to use the 2011 Census, which contains no data on the Backward Classes. He wants to snatch away your right to participate," he said.

"What the government is proposing now has nothing to do with women's reservation. This amendment is an attempted power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering. We will not allow 'Hissa Chori' from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities by ignoring the caste census data. We will also not allow Southern, North Eastern, North Western and smaller states to be treated unfairly," he said posting the video on 'X'.

Rahul claimed that Modi wants to send a message to the country that he is "pro-woman", as he is panicked by the Epstein files. "3.5 million files are locked away in the US, the key is with Donald Trump, and you are scared of that. But this is not the way," he said.

He said the Congress wants the government to use the data of Census 2027, which has started, as caste count will also be taken up.

"Yo claim to be conducting an OBC Census, so why are you not passing the Women’s Bill using that data? Our vision is to bring a completely new paradigm of development through the Caste Census. We are asking the central question, what is the actual participation of OBCs, Dalits, and Tribals in this country?" he said.

"Narendra Modi, the RSS, and the BJP are panicking because the Caste Census data is starting to emerge. They are realising the true scale of the Backward Classes' population in this country. They do not want you to get representation based on your actual numbers. This is not just against the Backward Classes; this is an anti-national activity," he said.

Referring to "another very dangerous element" in the Bill, he said the southern and north-east states will see their representation decrease and it will be a "massive loss", which he considers another "anti-national activity".

"Our stand is crystal clear: If you want to do this, do it on the basis of OBC Census data. Use the 2027 Census data. Do not use the 2011 Census because it lacks data on OBCs. And if you truly want to implement the Women’s Bill, the bill is right there, implement it! We will give you full support. But we will not let you act against the Backward Classes, the Southern states, or the smaller states," he said.