SHILLONG, APR 20: BJP national secretary in-charge Meghalaya state Anil Antony on Monday accused the Congress-led INDIA bloc of “sabotaging” three key bills moved during the April 16-18 special session of Parliament, including the 131st Constitution Amendment Bill aimed at delinking women’s reservation from the delimitation process.
“Three bills were moved by the Union government led by the Prime Minister… but the history motive was to ensure that the women of the country, who constitute more than 50% of our population, get equality and fairness in our democratic processes,” Antony said.
He alleged that Opposition parties derailed the legislation.
“However, unfortunately in the two days session, the INDIA members — Congress, Samajwadi Party, TMC, DMK — they all sabotage the bill and finally the bill that was moved by the Prime Minister with the sole intention to ensure justice and fairness and democratic participation for our women fell through,” he stated.
Antony traced what he called the Congress’s “track record” of opposing the bill.
“Between 1999-2003 when then Prime Minister was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, four times the women reservation bill was moved by the NDA government… the Congress again during that time also ensured the bill did not go through in Parliament,” he said.
On the 2023 Act, he noted its link to census and delimitation meant implementation only by 2034. “This parliament session was called by the NDA government to ensure that it is delinked from the delimitation process and ensure that in 2029 itself the bill can become a reality,” Antony said.
He added that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured states on seat concerns. “The Home Minister… clearly mentioned that he and the government is willing to have an amendment… that no states will lose the existing seats and every state, a 50% increase in state will be done in an equitable manner,” Antony said.
“Every state in India including the state of Meghalaya will see an increase in Lok Sabha seats. Currently, Meghalaya has 2 Lok Sabha MPs, it would have become 3 and it will ensure that one out of three MPs in the state of Meghalaya would always have been a woman,” he added.
Antony linked delimitation to outdated representation. “The boundaries have been decided based on the last census that happened in 1971 when India’s population was only 54 crore and now its population is 140 crore,” he said.
He accused the Opposition of fearing women’s political empowerment.
“The Congress and its allies fear that women will receive their historic rights under the leadership of our Prime Minister and then their remaining political ground will also slip away,” Antony stated.
“The Modi government will strongly fight against these anti-women forces in the opposition… Time has come for our women to respond through the power of their votes and push these arrogant and anti-women parties to the margins of politics forever,” he said, adding that “the BJP strongly condemns the shameful, undemocratic conduct of the opposition alliance which we witnessed on April 16 in the Parliament.”
By Our Reporter
