‘Look at the intention’: BJP leaders defend delimitation-women’s quota link

As the Treasury and the Opposition benches get ready for the latest round of locking horns in Parliament — this time over the Delimitation Bill and women’s reservation — in a special session from April 16 to 18, BJP leaders on Wednesday (April 15) defended the move to fast-track the implementation of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam while linking it with delimitation.

The government has proposed to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850, reserving 33 per cent seats for women. While the Opposition has no problem with women’s reservation, it’s the linking of its implementation to delimitation that has become the bone of contention. The delimitation of Parliament and Assembly seats based on population is being seen as a move that will significantly benefit the more populous northern states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at the disadvantage of the South.

‘You cannot divide the nation’

However, BJP leaders argue that a uniform percentage increase across all states will maintain the relative political weight of every region, thereby protecting the interests of southern states. Speaking to The Federal, senior BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam said the intention is to emancipate women and help them contribute to nation-building.

Also read: Is BJP electoral juggernaut deciding the shape of women’s quota, delimitation bills?

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a clear vision and intention that half of the country’s population (women) should get the right to rule. How long will they (women) have to wait for support? They will make laws themselves and also implement it themselves. But the Opposition doesn’t want it to happen,” claimed the national general secretary of the BJP.

On being asked about linking delimitation with women’s reservation, Gautam said delimitation will be done in proportion to the population of the states, following the Constitution. “What they (Opposition parties) are saying is akin to dividing the country. You cannot divide the nation on the basis of population or area. You have to understand that it is a country and any person living in any corner of this nation is its citizen,” he said.

‘Delimitation has a clear structure’

Another BJP leader, Neetu Dabas, told The Federal that delimitation is a quasi-legal system. “It follows a clear structure. Yet, Home Minister Amit Shah will give the Opposition more clarity on it during the special Parliament session from April 16 to 18,” she said.

She added that the government had decided to implement delimitation on the basis of the last 2011 Census only to expedite “women’s participation in nation building”.

Also read: Why delimitation Bills appear more ominous than originally thought

“The next census will take time. If the Opposition asks us what the hurry is, we will go back to 30 years of their tenure and ask them why they didn’t implement it. Now when it is happening, why should it get delayed?” argued Dabas, Delhi BJP spokesperson and media in-charge of Mahila Morcha, the party’s women’s wing.

‘2029 is far away’

Regarding the Opposition’s accusation that the BJP wants to gain political mileage from the move, she said, “2029 is far away. Had we done this ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections, they could have called it an election stunt. So, questions will remain. But what is important is the intention. The intention is to ensure that women lead development in this country.”

She claimed that the BJP wants the country to be developed by 2047 and hence seeks to ensure greater participation by women. “We are a political party, and we will do whatever is best for the country. People give us votes based on our performance and we win,” she said.