Modi killed bill on women's quota, opposition fought delimitation bill only: Cong's Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday claimed it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who ''killed'' the Constitution amendment bill to implement women's quota in legislatures from 2029 and pointed out the opposition was against the delimitation bill only. Taking a jibe at the prime minister for campaigning extensively across West Bengal for the Assembly polls, he asked whether Modi wished to become the state's chief minister. Kharge claimed that PM Modi has been travelling across Bengal for an inordinately long period, ''neglecting his official work''. ''Does he want to become the chief minister of West Bengal or wants to remain the country's prime minister?'' he asked. Over the prime minister accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of committing ''foeticide'' after the bill to implement 33 per cent women's reservation in legislatures in 2029 derailed in the Lok Sabha, Kharge said, ''It is you (Modi) who killed the women's reservation bill; we fought against the Delimitation Bill and not the bill on women's quota.'' Addressing a poll rally in Cooch Behar, the Congress president reminded the gathering that the UPA government in 2010 passed a Women's Reservation Bill in the Rajya Sabha. ''We are always keen to ensure the rights and welfare of women.'' He also pointed out that the Congress has had women leaders like Sarojini Naidu, Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and asked whether the BJP has ever made a woman its president or elevated any of them to a high position. Even though the Women's Reservation Bill had passed the Rajya Sabha test in 2010, the UPA failed to bring the proposed law in the lower house of Parliament, and it lapsed. At the rally, Kharge said, ''We (Parliament) came together in 2023, and the women's quota bill was passed. But Modi slept over it for 30 months only to wake up before the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu assembly polls.'' He wondered what had stopped the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre from bringing it into force earlier. In September 2023, Parliament passed the 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam', commonly known as the Women's Reservation Act, which provided for the reservation of one-third of seats for women in Lok Sabha and state legislative Assemblies. It was brought into force only last week in the midst of the debate in Parliament to amend the same law for its implementation in 2029. Under the 2023 law, the reservation would not become enforceable before 2034, as it was tied to the completion of the delimitation exercise post 2027 Census. Kharge asserted that the BJP was trying to get the delimitation bill passed under the garb of the women's quota bill. ''What has failed is the Delimitation Bill,'' he said. He claimed that PM Modi wants to hold general elections early in the country by pushing forward delimitation. ''You (Modi) backstab democracy and then claim to have worked for the cause of women's empowerment,'' Kharge said. Modi came to power in 2014, but women had voting rights well before that, he added. Kharge alleged that PM Modi's campaign speeches had the potential of disturbing peace and creating tension among people of different faiths. ''I want to tell Modi that his magic may be effective somewhere else, but the people of West Bengal will not fall for that.'' Addressing the rally, the Congress president said that his party had ''lost a lot'' by getting into poll alliances with some parties. The Congress is going it alone in the West Bengal assembly polls this time. It had forged electoral alliances with the CPI(M)-led Left Front in 2021 and 2016 but fared miserably. Accusing Modi of trying to demolish the opposition, Kharge said, ''Democracy in the country is very much alive, and we will keep it so.'' He accused the prime minister of promoting himself through advertisements, and asked, ''If he is so popular, then why does he need the advertisements?'' Maintaining that West Bengal is under a debt burden of Rs 8.15 lakh crore, Kharge alleged that the BJP government at the Centre has also not provided Rs 2 lakh crore, which is due to the state.