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'Nothing to do with women empowerment': Rahul Gandhi drops '3 truths' on women's quota bill in Lok Sabha
Rahul Gandhi reasoned that the women's quota bill introduced in the house was different from the 2023 legislation and has nothing to do with women's reservation
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday teared into the government over the women's reservation bill in Parliament and said the proposed legislation is an "attempt to change country's electoral map, while hiding behind India's women".
While speaking in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi reasoned that the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill introduced in the house was different from the one introduced in 2023 and has nothing to do with women's reservation.
“There are some truths that need to be told here today in this House. The first truth is that this is not women's bill. This is nothing to do with the empowerment of women,” Gandhi said while addressing the Lok Sabha.
Seeking to draw a difference with the proposed 2023 law that sought one-third reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, the Leader of the Opposition said, “There is a women's bill. It was passed in 2023 in this House itself. And my friends and teachers in the BJP said that it would be implemented in 10 years time. That is the women's bill. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India.”
The Congress leader hit out at the government for what he claimed was “hiding behind India's women”. He further said the opposition leaders would support the government had it brought the women's reservation bill.
“Instead of giving them women's reservation, which is very easy thing to do and every single opposition member will support it right now. Bring that old bill back right now and we will help you pass it for implementation from this second. That is the women's bill and this is something else,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi's '3 truths' on quota bill
Gandhi said that the agenda of the government was to bypass the caste and take away the power from the OBCs and deprived sections
“What they are trying to do is avoid giving power, giving representation to my OBC brothers and sisters and take away power from them. This is the agenda over here,” he said.
He alleged that the government is trying to make sure that the caste census has nothing to do with representation for the next 10-15 years.
He also said that the government is going to take away representation from South India, and added that the opposition won't allow the government to do so.
