Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday strongly criticized the government over the Delimitation Bill, one of the laws brought to implement women’s reservation from the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. She said it had “nothing to do with women’s empowerment” and was “an attempt to change the electoral map of India”.
Participating in the debate in the Lok Sabha on three bills aimed at implementing reservation for women from the 2029 general elections, Rahul Gandhi said it was an “attempt to sideline the caste census”.
He said, “The first truth is that this is not a women’s bill. It has nothing to do with women empowerment. It is an attempt to change the electoral map of India. In fact, it is a shameful act.”
He further said, “What is being tried here is to sideline the caste census. They are trying to avoid giving power and representation to my OBC brothers and sisters, and taking away this right from them. The issue is not this, but the issue is whether the caste census will be used for representation in the Parliament or the Assembly. You are trying to ensure that the caste census has nothing to do with representation. So you can take this matter to task.” Can be postponed for 10 years.”
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the opposition will not allow the three bills to be passed and the government should implement the Nari Shakti Act without any delay.
He said, “It is easy to give reservation for women, and every member of the opposition will pass it… Bring back that old bill now, we will help you get it passed immediately. That is a women’s bill, and this is something else. The truth should come out in this matter.”
He accused the BJP-led central government of “changing the entire political map of India” in an attempt to remain in power.
Gandhi said, “The second thing that is being done, which is equally bad and dangerous, is that you are afraid of what is happening in the politics of this country, you are afraid of your power being weakened. You are afraid of your power being weakened. You are trying to reshape the Indian political map. You have done it in Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and you are trying to imagine that you can do it for the rest of India as well.”
He further said, “Let me explain to you what you are doing. You are telling South Indians, North-Eastern states and smaller states that the BJP will have to snatch away representation from you to remain in power. This is a blatant anti-national act. We will not let you do this under any circumstances.”
Discussion on the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, Union Territory Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 and Delimitation Bill, 2026 resumed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The discussion started yesterday afternoon and continued till 1.25 am.