New Delhi [India], April 17 : BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday launched a sharp counterattack against Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accusing the opposition of having "minds that have turned to scrap."
On social media platform X, Dubey posted, "This bill Congress DMK all together passed in 2023, according to it women will get 33 per cent reservation based on population and based on the 2026 census. Now, Udhayanidhi Stalin Revanth Reddy will have to answer whether Congress is responsible or not when the Lok Sabha seats will be reduced in proportion to the population? All the opposition's so-called experts' minds have turned to scrap."
The statement came in response to Ramesh's post on X, where he called the timing of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam notification "absolutely bizarre" while amendments were still being debated in Parliament.
Jairam Ramesh on X said," This is absolutely bizarre. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed in September 2023 has come into force today while amendments to it are being debated and will be voted upon tomorrow. Completely puzzled."
While speaking to reporters, Nishikant Dubey noted, "The 2023 bill, which all opposition parties had passed, has been passed. Yesterday, Priyanka Gandhi gave a very good proposal that reservations should be done within 543. That act says that seat distribution will be based on population. They have to decide whether Congress will do injustice to South India or pass this bill."
The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
However, the Opposition MPs have raised concerns over the constitutional amendment to conduct the delimitation and increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha to 850, based on the 2011 census. The opposition alleged that the proposed legislation would shrink the representation of southern states in the House.
Opposition parties have said they are in favour of early implementation of the Women's Reservation Act but are strongly opposed to the Delimitation Bill.
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