Speaking during a special parliamentary session on women’s reservation and delimitation, Gandhi said, “This is not a women’s bill. This has nothing to do with the empowerment of women. This is an attempt to change the electoral map of India.”
The government on Thursday introduced three key legislations in the Lok Sabha to advance women’s reservation and prepare for the next delimitation exercise. These include the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
‘A bypass of the caste census’
Gandhi also linked the issue to the demand for a caste census, claiming the move bypasses the question of equitable representation. “It is a historical fact how Indian society has treated Dalits, OBCs and their women. What is being attempted here is a bypass of the caste census… They are trying to avoid giving OBCs their due share in power and representation,” he said.
He maintained that women’s empowerment cannot be separated from broader questions of representation. “Women are a central, driving force in our national imagination,” he said, while accusing the ruling party of trying to redraw political boundaries out of political fear.
“You are worried about what is happening in the country’s politics and are attempting to rejig the Indian political map. You did it in Assam and Jammu & Kashmir, and now believe you can do it across India. That would require a constitutional amendment,” he said.
“You have made a wrong and misleading statement,” Rijiju said, intervening during the speech, adding that Gandhi was referring to reservation in Parliament for OBCs and religious minorities, “which is not permissible”. He also questioned why the Congress, despite ruling for over 60 years, did not provide constitutional reservation for OBCs.
