New Delhi, April 17 — Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday alleged in the Lok Sabha that the proposed women’s reservation bill is being used to “reshape the electoral map of India” rather than to advance women’s empowerment.
Participating in a debate, Gandhi said the legislation “has nothing to do with empowerment of women” and accused the government of “hiding behind India’s women” to pursue a broader political objective.
He claimed the Centre is signalling to southern, northeastern and smaller states that their representation could be reduced. “For the BJP to remain in power, we are going to take away representation from you,” he said, describing the move as an attempt to “rejig the Indian political map”.
Gandhi urged the government to bring back the 2023 version of the women’s reservation bill and implement it without delay. “Bring back the 2023 women’s bill and we will help you pass it this second,” he said.
The Congress MP also raised concerns over representation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), alleging that the government is avoiding provisions to ensure their inclusion. He further claimed there is an effort to disconnect the caste census from political representation for the next 15 years.
The government has not issued a detailed response to Gandhi’s specific allegations. It has, however, previously defended the bill as a major step to enhance women’s participation in governance.
The debate on the legislation is expected to continue, with sharp differences persisting between the treasury and opposition benches.