Congress slams Centre over Women’s quota delay

Vijayawada: Former union minister and senior Congress leader J D Seelam on Friday alleged that the proposed 33% Women's reservation is being used as a political tool rather than a genuine step towards women's empowerment.Addressing a press conference at the APCC headquarters along with party vice president Kolanukonda Sivaji, Seelam claimed that the Bill is an attempt to push forward the delimitation process under the guise of the 131st Constitutional Amendment. He said the Centre convened a special session of Parliament with political intent, despite lacking the two-thirds majority required to pass a constitutional amendment.Seelam further alleged that linking women's reservation with delimitation is misleading. He criticised the Centre for proposing to base reservations on the 2011 Census instead of updated population data, calling it a "deception" that misguides women.Referring to the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill on Sept 20, 2023, he said that 181 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats are expected to be reserved for women from the 2029 general elections, but questioned the delay and intent behind its implementation.The Congress leader also accused the BJP and its allies of blaming opposition parties for obstructing the Bill, terming it a diversionary tactic.