‘Defeated bill to defend idea of India’: Rahul Gandhi as Oppn blocks women's quota bill in Lok Sabha

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused the BJP of attempting to “hide delimitation” behind women’s bill introduced in Parliament, and alleged that the move was aimed at weakening the political representation of southern, smaller and northeastern states. Rahul Gandhi addresses a public meeting, ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, at Ponneri, in Tiruvallur district. (PTI)Addressing a gathering during a brief visit to Chennai to campaign for party candidates, Gandhi said, “Yesterday, in Parliament, they (BJP) came out with this new bill. They said they are trying to pass a women’s bill. But, they already passed the women’s bill in 2023.” Also read: ‘Anti-reform, selfish politics’: Modi trains guns at Oppn after legislative setback on women's bill He added, “Hidden behind the women’s bill yesterday was the delimitation. The idea was to reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in the Union of India, to weaken the strength of southern states, small states and northeastern states.” Claiming that the Opposition blocked the move, Gandhi said, “We defeated the bill to defend the idea of India. It is written in the Constitution that India, that is Bharat, is a union of states. Every state should have a voice and be free to express its language and protect its traditions.” Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “When the Prime Minister speaks of one nation, one leader, one language, one people, he attacks the Constitution of India. Please understand what the BJP and RSS are trying to do.” Drawing a parallel, Gandhi alleged the BJP was attempting to undermine Tamil identity. Also read: 'India-Iran relationship strong': Tehran representative after tankers shot at near Strait of Hormuz “They want to attack the Tamil language and destroy Tamil history. The BJP and RSS want to twist Tamil culture, and we will never allow them to do that,” he said. Calling the BJP-RSS “ignorant”, he said they do not understand Tamil identity or its significance. Referring to his visits to the state, Gandhi said he shares a strong connection with Tamil Nadu despite not being from the state. “When I see attempts to attack Tamil Nadu’s culture and language, I feel strongly against it,” he said. He alleged that the BJP wanted a “compliant” leadership in the state. “They want a chief minister in Tamil Nadu who takes orders from (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah and (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi,” he said, adding that the BJP sought to rule the state from Delhi. Also read: MEA summons Iranian envoy after Indian-flagged tankers shot at near Strait of Hormuz He also announced a set of welfare promises, including ₹2,000 monthly aid for women, senior citizens and differently abled persons, scholarships for students, ₹2,500 as food security support and filling government vacancies within 300 days. Tamil Nadu Assembly elections are scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 23.