New Delhi, April 17 (NationPress) Harsimrat Kaur Badal, a prominent leader from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and MP from Bathinda, addressed the Lok Sabha on Friday, asserting that the BJP has been frequently shifting its stance on women's reservation. She criticized the ongoing delimitation process, which she claims is being executed under the pretense of the Women's Reservation Bill.

In her remarks regarding the Bill, she stated that while SAD supports the Women's Reservation Bill, they cannot endorse what she labeled an unconstitutional delimitation exercise. “The Constitution clearly stipulates that delimitation should only occur following a census. It is essential that delimitation is conducted in a way that ensures a proportional increase in Lok Sabha seats across all states to maintain equal representation within our federal democracy,” she emphasized.

Addressing the verbal commitment offered by Union Home Minister Amit Shah concerning equitable representation, Harsimrat Badal remarked, “The government needs to provide a written guarantee. We are all aware of the outcomes of verbal promises made to Punjab regarding the transfer of Chandigarh in 1986, the pledge to release the ‘Bandi Singhs’, and the recent vow to initiate a CBI investigation into the tragic suicide of Punjab Warehousing officer Gagandeep Singh Randhawa.”

She pointed out that despite a parliamentary session convened in September 2023, the government has yet to implement the 33% reservation for women, arguing that this could have been achieved following a census and delimitation. She criticized the introduction of a new amended Bill that bypasses the necessity of a census, asserting, “It is evident that delimitation is being disguised under the Women's Reservation Bill.”

Stating that the nation is witnessing the Bill being pushed through Parliament using brute force, she noted, “The Centre could have conducted the census in the past three years but chose not to.” Badal urged the government to clearly outline its objectives in the Bill, citing the absence of clarity regarding the criteria for increasing Lok Sabha seats.

Accusing the government of obstructing the implementation of 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha, the Bathinda MP commented, “Women are often acknowledged only during elections, with grand promises made to them in the name of Nari Shakti.” She advocated for the establishment of a transparent law that genuinely empowers women.

Furthermore, she highlighted that the Women's Reservation Bill was part of the BJP's election manifesto in both the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections, yet it has not materialized until just before the 2024 elections, seemingly as a tactic to attract female voters. Later in a media interaction, Harsimrat Badal expressed concern over the plight of Punjab's farmers, attributing their struggles to the inadequate policies of both the central and the Aam Aadmi Party governments in the state.

She criticized the Centre for failing to take tangible actions to double farmers' incomes, stating, “The AAP government promised to ensure MSP on all crops but is struggling to even procure wheat arriving in mandis for the past 15 days.”

The Akali Dal MP further noted that the AAP government had previously pledged compensation for the extensive damage to the paddy crop caused by floods last year, as well as losses due to rain and hailstorms three weeks prior, but has not followed through on these commitments.