Women’s reservation was part of BJP’s 2014 manifesto, but bill now being introduced for unconstitutional delimitation, says SAD MP Harsimrat

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had been repeatedly changing goal posts on women's reservation as she decried that "the delimitation exercise was being conducted in the garb of the women's reservation bill".Speaking on the bill in Parliament, she said, "SAD supported the women's reservation bill, but it cannot now support the unconstitutional delimitation exercise. The Constitution is clear that delimitation can only be conducted after a census. Delimitation itself should be done in such a manner that there is a proportionate increase in Lok Sabha seats of all states to ensure equal representation to all in a federal democracy." Speaking about the verbal assurance given by Union home minister Amit Shah on proportionate representation, Harsimrat said, "The govt should give a written assurance. We all know the fate of verbal assurances given to Punjab on handing over Chandigarh to it in 1986, promise to release the ‘Bandi Singhs', and lately assurance to hold a CBI probe into the suicide of Punjab warehousing officer Gagandeep Singh Randhawa." She added the central govt called a session in Sept 2023, but did not implement 33% reservation for women, asserting that the same could be done after conducting a census and delimitation exercise." She said, "Now a new amended bill was being introduced without need for a census. It is clear delimitation is being done under the cover of the women's reservation bill." She said the Centre could have conducted the census in the last three years but did not. She also pointed out that the women's reservation bill was "part of the election manifesto of the BJP in the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections but did not see the light of day till the eve of the 2024 elections with the sole view of wooing the woman electorate".Get real-time updates and result insights on the CBSE 12 Result 2026.