New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday accused the government of masking its delimitation agenda behind women’s reservation bills in the upcoming special Parliament session starting April 16. She termed the move “extremely dangerous” and an “assault on the Constitution,” insisting any Lok Sabha expansion must ensure political equity for smaller states and family planning pioneers.
Gandhi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi aims to “delay and derail” the caste census amid elections in Tamil Nadu (April 23) and West Bengal (April 23-29). She questioned the 30-month delay in amending Article 334A for 2029 implementation of the 2023 Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, despite opposition pushes for 2024 rollout.
Citing the delayed 2021 Census—now digital with 2027 results—she highlighted impacts like 10 crore losing food entitlements. Dismissing census delay excuses, Gandhi pointed to Bihar and Telangana’s quick caste surveys and demanded an all-party meeting post-West Bengal polls on April 29.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi supported her views on X, flagging “rushed delimitation” risks. Gandhi pushed for OBC women’s quotas and Monsoon session debate, calling the haste “anti-democratic.”
