Hyderabad, April 20 (RAHNUMA): The Congress party on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of spreading ‘false propaganda’ against the Congress on the Women’s Reservation Bill and deliberately delaying the implementation of the Bill, despite supporting its passage in 2023.
Hyderabad DCC chief Syed Khalid Saifullah along with Assembly constituency in-charges Rajesh Kumar Pulipati (Bahadurpura), B. Nagesh (Chandrayangutta), Mohammed Mujeebullah Shareef (Charminar), Shaik Akbar (Malakpet) and K. Ravi Raj (Yakutpura), at a media conference in Gandhi Bhavan, alleged that linking the 33% quota for women to Census and delimitation exercises was a “calculated move” to postpone rollout. He said the reservation could have been implemented ahead of the 2024 general elections if there was genuine intent.
Raising concerns over delimitation, the Congress leader warned it may reduce the political weight of southern states like Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
Reaffirming its stand, Saifullah said women’s reservation is a matter of equality and demanded immediate implementation without preconditions. In fact, the Congress party had introduced key reforms for women, including 33 per cent reservation in local bodies through the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments, as well as laws related to maternity benefits, domestic violence and workplace safety, he claimed.
