Jammu, 22 April (H.S.): Congress today demanded that 33 per cent reservation for women be implemented within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats and called for a caste census before any delimitation exercise.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, All India Congress Committee (AICC) National Secretary Szarita Laitphlang said the Opposition would support women’s reservation if it is implemented without altering the current seat structure.

“If the Government is serious, allocate 180 out of 543 seats to women within the existing framework, and the entire Opposition and the country will stand with you,” she said.

She asserted that delimitation should not precede a caste census, alleging that the Government was attempting to “push delimitation under the garb of reservation” through a constitutional amendment bill requiring a two-thirds majority.

Laitphlang termed the April 16 tabling of the bill a “conspiracy” aimed at weakening democracy and altering the Constitution, and described its defeat as a “victory for the Constitution, India, and Opposition unity.”

She also accused the Government of misleading the public by claiming that the Opposition had blocked women’s reservation. “The bill for women’s reservation was already passed in 2023. Why was a special session called in April 2026? This was not about reservation but about delimitation,” she said.

Taking a dig at the Government’s “nari shakti” narrative, she said women could not be used as “shields” to fulfil political objectives. “Women are not scapegoats. They cannot be used as instruments for hidden agendas,” she added.

Referring to incidents in Hathras, Unnao and Manipur, she questioned the government’s commitment to women’s safety and described the “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” campaign as a “jumla,” alleging excessive spending on publicity without addressing ground realities.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar