Why is caste census not being used to pass Women’s Reservation Bill, asks Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, alleging that the 2011 census is being used to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill, rather than the current caste-based census that is being conducted in the country.
“What the government is proposing now has nothing to do with women’s reservation. This amendment is an attempted power grab using delimitation and gerrymandering”, Gandhi said in a post on X.
His reaction comes a day before the extended Budget Session of the Parliament is to convene, during which amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, and a proposed delimitation Bill are expected to be discussed to facilitate one-third reservation for women in Parliament.
Gandhi stressed that the Congress “unequivocally supports Women’s Reservation” and that the Parliament had unanimously passed the Bill in 2023.
Attaching a video message along with his post, he called it an important issue, “especially for the backward classes, Dalits, tribal communities, and women. “It is about your participation,” he noted.
The LoP alleged that public “are being deceived now”.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want that this decision (of Women’s Reservation) be based on the Caste census, new census or OBC census. He wants to use the Census of 2011, where the numbers of backward classes are not included,” he said in the video.
While alleging that the participation of the backward classes is being snatched away, he accused the BJP of not wanting people from the backward classes to gain participation on the basis of their real population.
“We are saying that the new census has begun, they (BJP) are saying that OBC census is being conducted, then why is that census not being used to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill?” Gandhi asked.
Moreover, the Congress leader termed the activity of not relying on the caste-based census as “anti-national”.
“This is not only against backward classes but anti-national activity is taking place,” he said.
About the proposed delimitation Bill, he said: “If this happens then the representation of states from the south and north-east will be reduced. I consider it an anti-national activity.”
“We will not allow ‘Hissa Chori’ from OBC, Dalit and Adivasi communities by ignoring the caste census data. We will also not allow Southern, North Eastern, North Western and smaller states to be treated unfairly,” he stressed in the post.