Congress leader claims electoral restructuring, not gender reform, is driving Centre’s proposal; warns of impact on federal balance
Tamil Nadu: Addressing a public rally in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, Rahul Gandhi launched a sharp attack on the BJP, accusing Narendra Modi and Amit Shah of “misleading the nation” over the women’s reservation proposal. He alleged that the initiative was being used as a cover for a deeper restructuring of India’s electoral framework.
Gandhi argued that the real focus of the government lay in delimitation, which he described as a “diabolical plan” to redraw political boundaries and alter the balance of power among states. According to him, such changes could weaken regions like the South and the Northeast by reducing their relative representation in Parliament. “This is not about empowering women,” he said, “but about changing how India is governed.”
The Congress leader further claimed that similar exercises had already reshaped political equations in states like Assam and Jammu and Kashmir, and warned that the Centre intended to expand this approach nationwide. As a result, he said, the opposition had resisted the move in Parliament to protect the constitutional principle of India as a “Union of States.”
At the same time, Gandhi cautioned that delimitation, if driven by political motives, could undermine regional identities, including language and culture. He specifically pointed to Tamil Nadu, asserting that its distinct identity must be safeguarded.
Looking ahead, Gandhi described the upcoming state elections as a crucial political contest. He emphasised that the Congress, as part of the DMK-led alliance, would oppose what he termed attempts by the BJP and RSS to reshape both the political and cultural landscape of the state.
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