"BJP trying to take political advantage through Women's Reservation Bill...": CPI General Secy D Raja

Vellore (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 16 (ANI): Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja said that no opposition party has opposed the Women's Reservation Bill; however, there are concerns about how the Delimitation process will be carried out in the States. Further, he alleged that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to deceive the people to take advantage in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.

"We have supported women's reservation, and we were the first to raise the issue inside and outside Parliament. No party in opposition is opposed to women's reservation. How this delimitation is going to be worked out, and how the number of seats for each state is going to be worked out. There are many questions which have far-reaching implications. That is why this cannot be done just like that. BJP is trying to hoodwink the people, to take political advantage in the elections," he said.
Meanwhile, the floor leaders of the Opposition parties will meet in the office of the LoP, Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, in Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the House in the special session today.
The meeting of the opposition comes ahead of the special sitting of Parliament called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 16, 17, and 18 to pass the amendment to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
The Law Minister is also slated to move a proposal in the Lok Sabha to suspend the provisions of Rule 66 with the objective of passing the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill and the Delimitation Bill together.
The motion states that this House "do suspend the proviso to rule 66 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha in its application to the motions for taking into consideration and passing of the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 in as much as these are dependent upon the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, 2026."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had urged opposition parties to support the amendment to ensure the women's reservation comes into effect after the 2029 general elections.
"This is the wish of every sister and daughter of this country, and we must fulfil it with unanimity," he said at an event in Dehradun on Tuesday. (ANI)