Congress has reiterated support for the women’s reservation law but opposes delimitation without a fresh census. The party plans to convene a meeting of INDIA bloc leaders on April 15. It urged the government to hold an all-party meeting after April 29.
In a working committee meeting on Friday, Congress reiterated its support for the women’s reservation law while opposing delimitation without a fresh census. Party president Mallikarjun Kharge warned that the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise would have “grave consequences.” He accused the Modi government of convening Parliament from April 16 to gain political advantage, calling it a “violation” of the Model Code of Conduct.
At a press conference, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh stated the real issue is delimitation, with no specifics provided. He claimed the move aims to influence elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Kharge is set to call a meeting of opposition leaders on April 15, just before the parliamentary session.
The Union Cabinet cleared amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam and a Delimitation Bill on Wednesday to fast-track 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state assemblies based on the 2011 Census. Congress noted no formal proposal has been received, only details from a Prime Minister-authored article.
The meeting, chaired by Kharge, was attended by Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, KC Venugopal and others. The party alleged the session diverts attention from the government’s foreign policy failures.
