New Delhi, April 16 (NationPress) The President of the Samajwadi Party (SP), Akhilesh Yadav, raised concerns on Thursday regarding the government's "intent and urgency" in pushing through three significant bills—related to women's reservation, a Constitutional Amendment, and delimitation—during a special three-day session of Parliament. He argued that this rush could potentially deprive backward and marginalized women of their rightful benefits from the reservation system.

Akhilesh Yadav directed sharp inquiries at the Central government regarding its commitment to ‘nari shakti’ (women's empowerment) and accused the BJP of transforming the women's reservation issue into a political strategy, attempting to co-opt a national cause for its own gain.

Participating actively in the extensive discussions on women's reservation and delimitation, he insisted on the necessity of conducting both a Census and a caste-based census before implementing the women's reservation bill.

He emphasized that his party is firmly dedicated to supporting women, having consistently advocated for their upliftment and empowerment. He criticized the BJP's “poor track record” regarding women's representation, despite its governance across more than a dozen states.

“Our party leaders, inspired by socialist icons such as Ram Manohar Lohia, have always championed women's rights. We endorse women's quota but oppose any schemes aimed at undermining their interests,” he declared.

Pointing out the discrepancies in the ruling party's claims about women's empowerment, he remarked that although the BJP governs in 21 states/UTs, it must clarify where women hold significant positions of power.

“The party that boasts of being the world’s largest political entity should reflect on its own record concerning women's rights and representation,” he noted, while questioning the ‘hurry and urgency’ to pass the three bills.

He asserted that the actual intent behind postponing the Census and particularly the caste-based census is to hinder reservations for marginalized groups.

“The primary aim behind introducing the women’s reservation bill appears to be to forge a new vote bank, as there are fears of losing electoral support in the impending elections,” he added.

Akhilesh Yadav also contended that the purpose of delimitation is to manipulate the federal structure of the country, thereby providing political advantage to the ruling party, citing examples from Assam and Jammu & Kashmir as instances of “botched” procedures.

Moreover, he claimed that following delimitation, the number of Legislative Assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh could exceed 500, leading him to suspect a “conspiracy” behind this move.

“If there are ulterior motives concerning the restructuring of constituencies, the BJP may face significant consequences, akin to what transpired in Ayodhya,” he warned.

“We oppose the rotation of seats; this threatens the integrity of democracy. We demand a Census to be conducted first,” he concluded.