Women’s quota bill: Nishikant Dubey likens Rahul Gandhi’s speech to PC Sorcar’s magic show​

New Delhi, April 17 BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Friday backed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', criticising Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for opposing the proposed delimitation linked to the women’s reservation bill, and likening the Congress leader’s speech to a P.C. Sorcar magic show.​

Taking part in the discussion on the bill in Lok Sabha, Dubey urged the Opposition to facilitate the implementation of the 33 per cent reservation for women proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.​

He also asked the Opposition not to oppose the related delimitation, as this would lead to injustice to southern states, whose Lok Sabha seats might be reduced if the quota is implemented based on the 2011 Census rather than delimitation.​

Criticising Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during the discussion, he said, “I expected the Leader of Opposition to speak seriously on women’s reservation. But, in the end, I was left confused if I had ended up seeing a P.C. Sorcar magic show or a dance performance by Michael Jackson.”​

Dubey highlighted the historic significance of April 17, the day the crucial discussion took place, claiming that on that day in 1987, Rajiv Gandhi was accused of taking alleged kickbacks in the Bofors gun deal, and the news made the front page of the papers.​

Criticising the Congress for adopting double standards on OBC welfare, Dubey said that on April 17, 1998, the then Congress president, Sitaram Kesari, was ousted and Sonia Gandhi became the party chief.​

He also accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of opposing the 2011 caste census on the grounds that it was not permissible under the Constitution.​

Dubey said former Union P. Chidambaram also opposed a caste census at that time, claiming that it would divide the nation.​

Countering LoP Rahul Gandhi’s claim that OBCs have not got their due in the corporate sector under the current government, Dubey said that the Congress leader should know that the Tata group is headed by a minority, the Vedanta group is headed by Anil Agarwal, who is an OBC and Suzlon Energy’s owner Vinod R. Tanti is a Scheduled Caste.​

He said the Congress and other Opposition are opposing the delimitation linked to the women’s reservation bill, but they need to know that if the Census 2011 population is made the criterion for implementation of the bill, then the Lok Sabha seats in southern states will get reduced, and in northern states, these will get increased.​

“In Uttar Pradesh, the number of LS seats will increase to 87, Bihar 47, Maharashtra 49, West Bengal 38, Madhya Pradesh 34, Rajasthan 32, Tamil Nadu 29, Kerala 14, Gujarat 28, Karnataka 26, Andhra 20 and Odisha 18…” he said.​

He said Rahul Gandhi will be responsible for the reduction of LS seats in the southern states if women’s reservation is implemented in the existing 543-seat lower house, with the Census 2011 population as the criterion.​

Earlier, in a last-minute appeal to opposition parties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged them to support the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', amid the ongoing debate in Parliament.​

The introduction of the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, aimed at enabling women's reservation and facilitating delimitation, was approved in the Lok Sabha on Thursday following a division of votes.​

"Currently, a discussion is underway in Parliament on amending the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam. The debate continued until 1 a.m. last night as well," PM Modi said in a post on X.​

He mentioned that the government has provided logical responses to dispel the "misconceptions" that were spread.​

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