BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday lambasted the Central government for linking the women’s reservation with the delimitation process, saying that there was no need for the same.
He warned of “severe protests” if the existing seat share for South India in Parliament doesn’t remain intact.
The Women’s Reservation Bill was already passed by the Parliament in 2023. There was no need for this Bill to be linked with the delimitation exercise. Knowing fully well that if 2011’s census becomes the basis for delimitation, southern India will lose out heavily,” KTR told ANI.He accused the Centre of “stifling the voice of southern India” while criticising its attempt to make the 2011 census the basis for delimitation.
“Modi government introduced this Bill, which they knew very well, would not be able to get the two-thirds majority that is required for a Constitutional amendment. Therefore, we as BRS, certainly express our deep concern and deep protest with respect to stifling the voice of southern India in the Parliament,” the BRS working president said.He demanded that the Centre implement the women’s reservation law passed in 2023 on 543 Lok Sabha seats and said that approximately 24 per cent of the seats in South India must remain intact.
“We request and demand that the Union government fulfil the promise given to the women of this country because the Bill was already passed in 2023 with respect to women’s reservation. If you have to do it, you can do it with the 543 at present. All that we would like to tell you is make sure that the 24 per cent seats that the south of India has in the Parliament are kept intact. If that is not kept intact, this will lead to severe protest and resentment from the people of South India who have contributed to this nation in a big way,” KTR said.Earlier, the Constitution Amendment Bill did not pass in the Lok Sabha since it didn’t get a two-thirds majority. The opposition alleged that the Centre intended to increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies in the guise of women’s quota.
The opposition has been labelled as “anti-women” by the ruling BJP and its alliance partners for voting against the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill that sought to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850.
The amendment bills introduced by the Centre were meant to advance the implementation of women’s reservation legislation. It also sought to operationalise the women’s reservation in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.