‘Women’s reservation bill passed’: Congress accuses Center of using demarcation ‘hissa chori’

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused the Center of trying to grab power through the delimitation bill and added that the Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed in 2023. He clarified, Congress Party “Unequivocal” support for women’s reservation. He called the BJP-led Center’s proposal to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 850 “hissa chori” from OBC, Dalit and Adivasis communities and South and other regions.“The Congress party unequivocally supports women’s reservation. Parliament passed the bill unanimously in 2023 and it has become part of our Constitution. What the government is proposing now has nothing to do with women’s reservation. This amendment is an attempt to seize power using delimitation and gerrymandering,” he said.

“We will not allow ‘Hissa Chori’ from OBC, Dalit and Adivasis communities by ignoring caste census data,” he said. We will also not allow the south, north-east, north-west and smaller states to be treated unfairly,” he added.The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam 2023, which ensures 33 per cent reservation for women in the legislative body, is currently linked to the delimitation exercise in the Lok Sabha. The government reportedly hopes to implement women’s reservation rights by amending the 2023 Act and introducing a constitutional amendment before the 2029 general elections to delink delimitation from the 2027 census.There is also a proposal to expand the size of the House of Representatives to 850 seats, including 815 state seats and 35 Union Territory seats, as compared to the current 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, sources reported by ANI said.