Sonia Gandhi Challenges Government's Hidden Agenda on Delimitation and Women's Reservation

Sonia Gandhi criticizes the government's proposal to focus on delimitation rather than women's reservation, calling it an assault on the Constitution. She accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of delaying the caste census and using the special parliamentary session for political gain during key election campaigns.

Sonia Gandhi, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson, has strongly criticized the Indian government's focus on delimitation instead of women's reservation, terming it a threat to the Constitution. Gandhi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal aims to delay the caste census and gain political advantage during upcoming elections.

In an article for The Hindu, she noted that the government's lack of transparency and attempts to rush key bills through a special session undermines democratic processes. The newly-passed Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, mandates women's reservation in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas post-census, which Gandhi argues should be implemented sooner.

Opposition leaders demand an all-party meeting before finalizing proposals, but their requests have been turned down. Gandhi advocated for fair delimitation, emphasizing the need for a Census prior to any changes to avoid disadvantaging smaller states. She stressed that the real issue lies in the potentially unequal political representation resulting from the delimitation process.

(With inputs from agencies.)