NEW DELHI, Apr 18: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Centre of attempting to change the country’s federal structure under the guise of women’s reservation, saying the defeat of the government’s bill in the Lok Sabha was a victory for the Constitution and opposition unity.
She also demanded that the government implement the Women’s Reservation Act of 2023 based on the current strength of the Lok Sabha.
“What happened yesterday was a big win for democracy. The attempt to change the federal structure of the country was defeated. It was a victory for the Constitution, opposition unity, and the country,” the Congress general secretary said at a press conference.
Referring to Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks in the Lok Sabha on Friday, Priyanka said, “He said the Congress will not be able to sit on the treasury benches for years, which reflects their mindset.”
She alleged that the government’s intention was to remain in power. “They believed that if delimitation does not happen now, it will not happen before 2029, helping them stay in power,” she said.
Priyanka further claimed that the issue was being linked to women’s reservation for political gain. “They thought that if the bill passes, it is fine. If it fails, they will project the opposition as anti-women and present themselves as champions of women,” she said.
“It is not easy to become the messiah of women. We have seen what happened in Hathras, what happened with our Olympic medallists, and others,” she added.
The Congress leader said the opposition could not have supported such a move and demonstrated its strength through unity.
In a major setback for the government, the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 and expand Lok Sabha seats to 816 was defeated in the Lower House on Friday.
While 298 members voted in favour, 230 MPs voted against it. The bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
The proposed legislation aimed to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 816 to implement women’s reservation ahead of the 2029 elections after a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census. It also proposed increasing seats in state and UT assemblies to ensure 33 per cent reservation for women.
The three-day special session was held from April 16 to 18 to secure Parliament’s approval for the bill.
Following its defeat, the Congress said the attempt by the Prime Minister and Home Minister to link delimitation proposals with women’s reservation had been decisively rejected in the Lok Sabha, calling it a victory for democracy and the Constitution. (Agency)
