Rahul Gandhi calls women’s bill a ‘plot to redraw India’s electoral map’, sparks uproar in Lok Sabha

Rahul Gandhi, while addressing the Lok Sabha, criticised the government’s proposed bills, calling them an attempt to alter India’s electoral landscape rather than empower women.

During the special session of Parliament, the government introduced the Women’s Reservation Bill (131st Constitutional Amendment) along with a Delimitation Bill. At the start of his speech, when the Speaker asked about an injury on his hand, Rahul Gandhi responded with a smile that he had hurt his thumb.

He described women as a “central force” in the national framework, emphasizing their vital role as mothers and sisters. Referring to his sister Priyanka Gandhi’s speech, he remarked that she accomplished in five minutes what he could not in 20 years. He also noted that her speech even brought a smile to the face of Home Minister Amit Shah—something he himself hadn’t managed.

Rahul Gandhi argued that the proposed legislation is not truly about women’s reservation, as such a bill had already been passed in 2023. Instead, he claimed it is an effort to reshape the country’s electoral map and has little to do with women’s empowerment. According to him, the move is aimed at retaining power and could reduce representation for Dalits, Adivasis, and backward classes. He alleged that similar experiments carried out in Jammu & Kashmir and Assam are now being extended nationwide.

He further stated that at a time when the country is demanding a caste-based census, the government is introducing such bills to divert attention. He accused the move of sidelining constitutional values and promoting a regressive ideology, adding that the opposition would not allow the weakening of constitutional governance.

Using a metaphor, Rahul Gandhi narrated a story about a magician who made a mistake and lost his ability to perform tricks, hinting that people now recognize who the real “magician” and “businessman” are in the country. His remarks triggered strong protests from the ruling party.

Kiren Rijiju countered by claiming that the Congress has historically opposed OBC reservation, leading to prolonged sloganeering and disruption in the House.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also objected to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been democratically elected by the people. He demanded that Gandhi’s comments be removed from the official record and that he issue an apology.