- Congress slams delimitation-linked women’s reservation push in Lok Sabha debate
New Delhi, Apr 16: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Centre in the Lok Sabha, alleging that the proposed constitutional changes linked to women’s reservation and delimitation amount to a serious threat to democratic representation in the country. Participating in the debate on the bills seeking amendments to the women’s quota framework and the setting up of a delimitation commission, she argued that the government was attempting to push through a far-reaching political change under the banner of women’s empowerment.
Questioning the need to link women’s reservation with an increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha, Priyanka Gandhi asked why 33 per cent reservation for women could not be implemented within the current strength of 543 seats. She said the proposal to raise the House strength to around 850 seats through delimitation, reportedly on the basis of 2011 Census data, may appear acceptable at first glance but becomes politically troubling on closer examination. According to her, the proposal carries deeper political implications and appears to be driven by electoral calculations.
The Congress MP alleged that democratic institutions had already been weakened through sustained pressure on bodies such as the Election Commission, the judiciary, and the media, and claimed that the latest move represented a more direct and open challenge to democracy. She warned that if the Constitution amendment bill is passed in its present form, it could have serious consequences for the democratic structure of the country. Her remarks marked one of the strongest interventions from the Opposition during the debate.
Priyanka Gandhi also placed the debate in historical context, saying the issue of women’s reservation has deep roots in India’s political journey. She referred to the Congress party’s earlier role in promoting women’s political rights, recalling the legacy of constitutional and legislative efforts made over the decades. She said the cause of women’s reservation had been carried forward through successive initiatives, including steps taken during earlier Congress governments to strengthen women’s representation in local bodies and legislative institutions.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the government’s approach, accusing the BJP of turning women’s empowerment into a political slogan rather than a substantive commitment. While reiterating his party’s support for reservation for women, he demanded that the proposed framework should also accommodate reservation for OBC and Muslim women. He maintained that women’s representation should be accompanied by social justice and argued that the government’s approach risked leaving out important sections of society.
Akhilesh further alleged that the government was using the promise of women’s reservation to justify an early delimitation exercise while delaying both the population census and caste census. He said his party supported women’s reservation in principle but opposed what he described as political manoeuvring under the guise of reform. The debate in the Lok Sabha thus reflected broader opposition concerns over the timing, structure, and intent of the proposed changes, even as the Centre maintained that the legislation was aimed at ensuring women’s representation without reducing the share of states or existing seats.