Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva on Monday alleged that the Modi government had pushed for a constitutional amendment bill on women’s reservation and delimitation of seats in the Lok Sabha despite knowing that it did not have a majority.
She accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of trying to “twist and intimidate” the opposition.
Addressing a press meet in Bengaluru, Alva termed the bill’s defeat “an embarrassment” for the Modi government and termed it as the BJP’s “first legislative hurdle”.
“In 2023, Modi brought the women’s reservation bill with much fanfare in the new Parliament building. It was unanimously passed in both houses. But now, women’s reservation was blocked in the same place due to the BJP’s conspiracy,” Alva said, alleging that the Center deliberately linked the removal of restrictions on women with the implementation of registration and its implementation.
Questioning the timing of the special session, Alva said, “It’s a political gimmick during the election and women voters can see the strategy,” Alva said.
“Who gave Modi the 50% formula to increase Lok Sabha seats without proper consultation with states? Did the RSS give it to him or did he dream it up? The restriction disproportionately favors ‘BIMARU’ – Hindi-speaking states,” Alva said, adding that the move exposed BJP’s “anti-women”
mindset”.
Recounting the history of women’s political reservation, Alva recalled that a 14-member committee formed during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure had highlighted women’s political representation in its national perspective plan.
“The PV Narasimha Rao government provided 33% reservation in local bodies and some states have increased it to 50%. Congress brought women reservation, not Modi or his predecessors,” she charged.
