Women's Reservation Bill Defeat Exposes BJP's Hidden Constitutional Agenda Says Revanth Reddy

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said on Saturday the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha was not a political setback for the BJP but a rejection of its intentions.

PTI reported that he alleged the ruling party used women's reservation as a cover to pursue a larger design of changing the Constitution and dismantling reservations for Dalits and tribals.

A day after the Bill to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of seats of the Lok Sabha was defeated in the Lower House, Reddy said the government's intentions were never honest.

Addressing a press conference, he said, "The so-called women's reservation law was tied to delimitation and an increase in seats. If women's reservation was the real goal, a simple amendment was all it needed,"

Reddy alleged that the BJP's push for 400-plus seats in the 2024 general election was aimed at securing a two-thirds majority to amend the Constitution and remove reservations guaranteed by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.

"The people gave Modi 240, not 400. Yesterday, they defeated his intentions again," he said.

Invoking a story from the 'Mahabharata', Reddy compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bheem, whose immense power was rendered useless due to ego when he could not lift Lord Hanuman's tail. "The people of this country became Hanuman and put their tail in front of Modi ji. He could not lift it. Modi ji's ego lost yesterday," he said.

He also drew a brief parallel with the 'Ramayana', alleging that just as Ravana used the pretext of the golden deer to abduct Sita, the prime minister was using women's reservation as a pretext to pursue constitutional changes.

Hitting back at the BJP's charge that the Congress and the INDIA bloc opposed women's empowerment, Reddy made a direct offer to the Centre. He said the government should introduce a clean women's reservation bill by Monday, without linking it to delimitation or a seat increase, and the alliance would pass it.

"It is not an hour, it is 36 to 40 hours. The data is ready. The Election Commission has voter rolls. The 2011 Census figures are available. The entire process can be completed within six months, well before August 15," he said.

PTI reported that Reddy said 181 reserved seats could be carved out across the Lok Sabha and state assemblies on the basis of the 2009 delimitation without any fresh exercise. He added that if including OBC reservation within the quota required more time, the base bill should be passed first and the inclusion handled through a subsequent amendment.

On the contentious issue of delimitation, Reddy said the process as proposed would systematically widen the gap between southern and northern states in parliamentary representation.

"Kerala has 20 seats today, Uttar Pradesh has 80 - a gap of 60. Increase both by 50 per cent and Kerala gets 30, UP gets 120. The gap becomes 90. The percentage looks the same. The reality is very different," he said.

He called on the Centre to convene an all-party meeting, consult all stakeholders including civil society and state governments, and arrive at a fair formula before proceeding. He said southern states were not opposed to delimitation as a concept but would not accept any formula that weakened the federal structure.

"Do not try to create a wall between south India and north India. We are part of this country. No one has the right to weaken this country for short-term political gain," he said.

Rejecting the BJP's attempts to paint the Congress as anti-women, Reddy said the party had given women the right to vote at the time of Independence, placed women in the highest constitutional offices, and introduced 50 per cent reservation for women in urban and rural local bodies under Rajiv Gandhi.

He pointed out that in over four decades since its founding in 1980, the BJP had not had a single woman serve as its national president or general secretary (organisation).

"Do not try to defame the Congress Party. One hundred forty crore people have seen your politics," he said.

Reported PTI that Reddy said the INDIA bloc remained united and ready to support a genuine women's reservation law. "For us, the order is: first the country, then the people, then the party. We will not let any attempt to weaken this country succeed," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)