Sanjay Kumar Jha Questions Sonia Gandhi on Delimitation in UPA Era
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
New Delhi, April 13 (NationPress) JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha fiercely criticized Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on Monday regarding her comments about delimitation and the Women’s Reservation Bill, challenging the Congress party on why these initiatives were not executed during their tenure in the UPA government.
In an interview with IANS, Jha stated, “If it was already on the agenda, why didn’t they put it into action while they were in power? Who was preventing them?”
He noted that during the UPA period, when the Bill was introduced, “Nitish Ji… went above and beyond to support it in Delhi. What stopped them from moving forward with it?”
Jha emphasized that the current situation represents a pivotal political and constitutional moment, asserting, “When the Bill is passed, delimitation will follow, resulting in an increase in seats. These seats will be allocated based on population… this is a momentous occasion.”
Taking a jab at the Congress party, Jha remarked, “She simply has to create a controversy over everything… that reflects the state of the Congress today.”
These comments were made in the wake of Sonia Gandhi’s opinion piece in The Hindu, where she voiced strong objections to the government’s intention to introduce Bills during a special Parliament session on April 16. She characterized the primary focus as delimitation rather than women’s reservation, labeling the action “extremely dangerous” and an “attack on the Constitution.”
Gandhi also accused the government of attempting to “delay and derail” the caste census and criticized the timing of legislative actions, which coincide with election campaigns in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Furthermore, she claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was aiming to “gain political leverage and force the Opposition into a corner.”
In her article, she mentioned that the government had “rejected repeated requests” for an all-party meeting following the announcement of recent state election schedules and accused Modi of being “economical with the truth” regarding the Opposition’s perspective on women’s reservation.
This exchange reveals escalating political tension ahead of the special parliamentary session, with both parties exchanging pointed accusations regarding constitutional and electoral reforms.