NEW DELHI: No State big or small, north or south, east or west will be discriminated against in the delimitation of constituencies linked with the implementation of women quota law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Thursday while strongly backing implementation of the reservation in 2029 and warned that those who oppose this initiative will not be forgiven by the women of the country. Intervening in the debate in Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendment of the women’s quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Modi also said if any political party opposes the women quota law, it is quite natural that he (Modi) would be politically benefited.
“Here, some people think that there is political self-interest of Modi in this move. If you oppose it, it’s natural I will gain political benefit, but if you walk along, no one will gain any political advantage. We don’t want credit,” he said.
Allaying fears of some States over the delimitation exercise, particularly those from the southern and eastern regions, the Prime Minister said no State will be discriminated against under the move.
“I want to say from this House today with a great sense of responsibility that whether it is the south, the north, the east, the west, small States or big States, this decision making process will not discriminate against any State or do injustice to anyone,” he said. Modi also made it clear that the proportion of Lok Sabha seats in any State will not come down as a result of the delimitation exercise.
“There will be no change in that proportion (of Lok Sabha seats) either, and the increase will also be in the same proportion,” he said.
The Prime Minister said no one should remain under the illusion that they are giving something to the women of this country as reservation in legislatures is their right.
As the mother of democracy, he said it is India’s cultural commitment that women are given their due right. “It is because of this commitment that we are moving forward. Let us not remain in the illusion that we are giving something to the country’s women, no way. It is their right,” he said.
Modi also said the ruling dispensation does not want credit for implementation of the women reservation law in 2029 and offered to give credit to the opposition.
“We don’t want credit. I give you a blank cheque for claiming credit on passage of women quota bill. If you want me to use the word ‘guarantee’, I use the word ‘guarantee’. If you want me to make a promise, I use the word ‘promise’. Because if the intention is clear, there is no need to play games with words,” he said. He said those who had opposed in giving this right to women in the past have not been forgiven by the women of this country, they have faced the consequences.
“Today, I have come to appeal to you that do not weigh this on political scales. This is a decision in the national interest. The women across the country and the world are watching us, will see our decisions. But more than the decision itself, they will judge our intent. If there is any flaw in our intent, the women of this country will never forgive,” he said. Modi said when Parliament was discussing the women reservation legislation in 2023, people were saying, “hurry up”.
“But it couldn’t happen in 2024, because it can’t be done in such a short time. Now in 2029, we have time. If we don’t do it even in 2029, we can imagine what the situation will be like. The demand of the time is that we should not delay any further now,” he said. He said in 2023, the Parliament unanimously passed the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, the official name of the women reservation act.
“A joyful atmosphere prevailed across the country, and no political colour was attached to it. So it did not become a political issue. Now the question is, how much longer do we have to stall it,” he asked.
The Prime Minister said if all parties come together, history bears witness, it won’t go in favour of any one person’s political side.
“It will go in favour of the country’s democracy, in favour of the country’s collective decision-making power, and we all will be deserving of that glory. Neither the treasury bench will be deserving of it, nor will Modi be deserving of it,” he said.
Therefore, Modi said, anyone who smells politics in reservation of seats for women in legislatures should take a look at their own outcomes from the past 30 years.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a “completely false” narrative is being spread that the representation of southern states will go down in the Lok Sabha after its strength is increased to 816 seats following the implementation of women’s reservation and delimitation of constituencies.
Intervening in the debate in Lok Sabha on the three bills introduced for amendment of the women’s quota law and to set up a delimitation commission, Shah said the fact is that the number of seats will go up and power will grow.
He said the number of Lok Sabha seats in the five southern states will go up from the present 129 to 195 seats while the percentage of power will increase from 23.76 per cent to 23.87 or almost 24 per cent.
“Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will increase to 42 from the present 28; in Andhra Pradesh, the number of Lok Sabha sets will increase to 38 from 25; in Telangana, it will be 26 from present 17; in Tamil Nadu, the number of Lok Sabha seats will go up to 59 from the present 39; and in Kerala, it will be 30 seats from the present 20,” he said.
Shah strongly rejected the opposition suggestion that the Government will indulge in some kind of “mischief” during the delimitation exercise, saying the NDA Government has not made any changes in the existing law.
“The delimitation bill is exactly like the previous law brought by your Government. There is no change, not even a comma or a full stop,” he said.
Explaining how the total number of seats in the new Lok Sabha is fixed at 816, the home minister said it is exactly 50 per cent more than the current total seats. (PTI)
