The Lok Sabha witnessed an intense debate on the Women's Reservation Bill and delimitation proposals on Friday, marked by both serious political arguments and a few light-hearted exchanges.
During the discussion, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi made a lighter remark referring to himself and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, noting that both do not have wives and therefore "do not get that input," while emphasising that they have still been influenced by the women in their lives, including mothers and sisters. He also remarked humorously that he had watched his sister achieve in minutes what he could not achieve in years of politics, "making Amit Shah smile."
However, Gandhi criticised the Women's Reservation Bill, calling it not a genuine empowerment measure but "an attempt to change the electoral map of India" and described it as "a shameful act." The voting on the bill was scheduled later in the day, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged all parties to support the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, calling it a historic step to reserve one-third of seats for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
Meanwhile, MoS Anupriya Patel strongly backed the bill, stating that nearly half of India's population is closely watching Parliament for a historic decision. She highlighted low women's representation—around 14% in Lok Sabha and 18% in Rajya Sabha—and criticised political parties for often preferring "bahubalis" over capable women candidates. She urged all parties to support the legislation, calling it a "noble cause."
Raghav Chadha's Remarks in Rajya Sabha
In the Rajya Sabha, AAP MP Raghav Chadha congratulated Harivansh on beginning his third term as Deputy Chairman, joking about their earlier "khatta-meetha" relationship and expressing hope for a smoother "meetha-meetha" one in the new term.
He also thanked the Chair for improving Zero Hour participation, allowing more members to speak, and requested slight flexibility in speaking time after the bell. His remarks came shortly after ED searches on premises linked to AAP leader Ashok Mittal and associated institutions under FEMA provisions, adding to the political backdrop.
Opposition Concerns Over Delimitation
The debate also saw strong opposition reactions to the proposed delimitation exercise.
DMK warned that delimitation could significantly alter Tamil Nadu's political representation and called it a "defining moment" for the state. The party alleged that despite assurances from the Prime Minister and Home Minister, the Bill's structure could allow arbitrary changes and weaken federal balance. It demanded withdrawal of the proposal, warning of strong political backlash if pushed without consensus.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor described delimitation as potentially "political demonetisation," arguing that linking it with women's reservation would delay long-pending reforms. He said women's reservation should be implemented immediately and warned that delimitation could distort federal balance, particularly affecting southern states that have controlled population growth and contributed significantly to economic development. He cautioned that such changes could strain India's federal structure and warned against creating a "tyranny of the democratic majority."
