Shimla, April 20
The Himachal Congress on Monday criticised the Centre government over the women’s reservation bill, accusing it of turning a key issue into an electoral tool ahead of upcoming polls. The Congress party spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Rathore said that the recent national address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeared more like a campaign speech than a statement on policy. He argued that when a Prime Minister addresses the nation, people expect major announcements, but instead the focus was on criticising opposition parties, particularly Congress.
Rathore said the nearly half-hour speech centred on attacking political rivals over the women’s reservation issue, at a time when states such as Tamil Nadu and West Bengal are heading into an election season. He also questioned the government’s handling of the legislation, noting that the bill has already been passed by parliament and approved by the president. Linking its implementation to delimitation and a future census, he said, raises concerns about timing and intent.
According to Rathore, using older census data for such a process would be inappropriate, especially when a new census is due. He alleged that the sequence of events suggests a pre-planned strategy aimed at portraying the opposition as anti-women.
Defending his party’s record, he said Congress has historically supported women’s political participation, pointing to initiatives during the tenure of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi that expanded reservations for women in local governance. He also cited reforms during Indira Gandhi’s leadership, which he said strengthened women’s rights.
Rathore rejected allegations that Congress opposes women’s representation, and accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of offering limited electoral opportunities to women candidates. He said the party would take the issue to the public and challenge what he described as attempts to gain political advantage from the legislation.
The BJP has not yet responded to these latest remarks.
