Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Thursday criticised the government for linking women’s reservation with delimitation, saying the law should be implemented immediately instead of being tied to the delimitation process. He also called for a detailed and wider discussion rather than rushing it through in a short time.Speaking to reporters outside the Parliament House complex, Tharoor said the Opposition fully supports women’s reservation but questioned the need to link it with delimitation.“I just want to say that we don’t have any problem with women’s reservation, they (the government) can do it immediately, but why delimitation is being included, this is our question, because there are many issues related to delimitation, a long discussion is required, but they want to wind up in 2-3 days, this is not possible,” he said.He stressed that the government could go ahead with the reservation immediately if it is separated from delimitation.“If the government wants this women reservation, they could have done it in 2023, they should do it now, we will support — no delimitation, just women’s reservation bill,” Tharoor said.The remarks came after the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill to amend the women’s quota law was introduced in the Lok Sabha following a division of votes. Alongside it, two ordinary bills — the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill — were also introduced to implement the proposed amended women’s quota law in the Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir.The Thiruvananthapuram MP also pointed to concerns raised by southern states and called the process “political demonetisation.”“The manner in which you are doing delimitation — the way you did demonetisation without thinking. We don’t want this political demonetisation. There should be a big debate; what should be the formula, only population cannot be the basis. Speak with south, northeast, small states,” he said.He reiterated that delimitation requires detailed discussion, even as he backed immediate implementation of women’s reservation.“A detailed discussion is required on delimitation but right now, there should be immediate implementation of women’s reservation. We will support it immediately,” he said.
