Bill defeat halts delimitation push, not women’s quota: Oppn

A triumphant opposition hailed the fall of the constitutional amendment bill as a defeat for delimitation and not women’s reservation.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said it was “deeply unfortunate” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose to “mislead the nation” over the women’s reservation bill and alleged the Centre was pushing delimitation by “using women as a shield”.
She also accused Modi of “illegal” election campaigning through his address on the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill.
Despite concerns over attendance, TMC sent 21 MPs after requests from INDIA bloc members.
Congress accused Modi of shedding “crocodile tears” and demanded immediate implementation of women’s quota within the present Lok Sabha strength.
Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the reservation law, passed in 2023, was not defeated, asserting delimitation was rejected instead. She alleged the government was linking quota with seat expansion and creating hurdles.
Shrinate also criticised Modi, saying he owed an apology to women over incidents including Manipur violence, Hathras, Unnao, treatment of women Olympians and the Bilkis Bano case. She said women’s representation remained low, with only 31 MPs and 164 legislators nationwide.
SP’s Akhilesh Yadav termed it a “defeat of BJP’s malice”, while RSP’s N. K. Premachandran said the BJP must consult the opposition.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused Modi of linking quota with delimitation, while CPI MP Sandosh Kumar and DMK chief M. K. Stalin said delimitation needed careful consideration and should be delinked from reservation.