Rahul Gandhi on Friday strongly criticised the government over the proposed women’s reservation bill during a discussion in the Lok Sabha. He argued that the bill being talked about now is not really about empowering women, but is instead aimed at changing the country’s electoral structure.
Speaking in Parliament, Gandhi said there are “a few important points” that need to be clearly understood. According to him, the first and most important point is that the current proposal should not be seen as a genuine step towards women’s empowerment.
Rahul Gandhi On Women’s Quota Bill
Rahul Gandhi pointed out that a separate women’s reservation bill had already been passed in 2023, which promised 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. He reminded the House that the government had earlier said that the law would be implemented after a gap of several years.
He suggested that the earlier bill was the actual measure meant for women’s representation, while the current proposal is something different. In his view, instead of bringing a new version, the government should focus on implementing the earlier law immediately.
Rahul Gandhi also said that if the government decides to bring back the 2023 bill for immediate rollout, the opposition would fully support it without hesitation.
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Rahul Gandhi Questions The Real Motive
Taking a sharper tone, the Congress leader accused the government of using the idea of women’s reservation as a cover for other political goals. He claimed that the real intention behind the move is not empowerment, but restructuring electoral dynamics.
He argued that providing reservations for women is not a complicated task and could be done quickly if there is genuine intent. According to him, delaying it while introducing new proposals raises questions about the government’s priorities.
Raises Concerns Over Representation
Rahul Gandhi also laid out what he called three key realities behind the bill. He claimed that one of the main concerns is that it could reduce representation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and other marginalised groups. According to him, the move may shift political power away from these communities instead of strengthening their voice.
He further alleged that the government is trying to disconnect the idea of caste census from political representation for the next several years. This, he suggested, could delay discussions around fair representation based on population data.
Concerns About Southern States
Another concern raised by Rahul Gandhi was about the impact on the southern states. He claimed that the proposed changes could affect their representation in Parliament. He added that the opposition would oppose any move that reduces political voice or balance among different regions.
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