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Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday criticised the government's approach to implementing the Women's Reservation Bill, alleging that the plan is being based on outdated population data from the 2011 census.
Speaking to reporters, Yadav said, "They are going in for women's reservation based on outdated numbers. The proposal is for one-third reservation, but this one-third is being calculated on the basis of the 2011 census. Was the population the same in 2011? Since then, the population has increased. The reservation should reflect today's ground reality, not figures from 2011. It seems the BJP has already mapped out which areas to allocate to women using those old numbers... But why the rush? Why base it on the 2011 census instead of waiting for the 2026 census?" During the interaction, when asked if the reservation would be implemented after the upcoming census, Yadav elaborated: "You are providing women's reservation based on population numbers. One-third is just a digit, a number. But which population figures do you want to use? Those from 2011! Was the reality the same back then? Since 2011, the population has grown significantly, and the female population must have increased even more. Therefore, any discussion about reservation should be based on the current ground reality and today's actual population." He further alleged that using 2011 figures allows political calculation, saying, "I believe that based on the 2011 population data, their 'underground' or 'unregistered' associates must have already mapped out which Lok Sabha seats to reserve or allocate to women. It is easy to create a plan based on 2011 data, but the census conducted after 2026 will be a fresh one. Since this reservation won't be implemented immediately, it is set to take effect in 2029. What is the rush? If the intention is truly to give women reservation and honour, why this haste? And why use the 2011 census? Why not wait and use the 2026-27 census figures?" Yadav's comments come amid debates over the timing and methodology of implementing the Women's Reservation Bill, which proposes to reserve one-third of legislative seats for women, a move he insists should reflect current demographic realities rather than outdated data. The special Parliamentary session to pass the Women's Reservation Amendment Bill will convene from April 16. The government aims to amend the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also called the Women's Reservation Bill, which aims to delink quotas for women from the delimitation process. Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed by Parliament in 2023. The base for delimitation had originally been set at the 2011 census. A separate Delimitation Bill will be introduced. Both bills need to be passed as Constitutional amendments for women's reservation. The Government is currently building consensus as this legislation will need 2/3rd majority to pass this legislation, making it crucial to secure support from opposition parties. The new Lok Sabha is likely to have more than 800 seats. (ANI)
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