New Delhi, Apr 19 (UNI) Mamata Banerjee on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of “misleading the nation” in his recent address and defending her party’s stance on women’s political representation amid an escalating row over the Women’s Reservation issue and delimitation.
In a post on her WhatsApp channel, the West Bengal Chief Minister said, “It is deeply unfortunate that the Prime Minister chose to mislead the nation rather than address it honestly,” setting the tone for a strongly worded rebuttal to the Centre’s position.
Banerjee asserted that the All India Trinamool Congress has consistently championed women’s representation in politics and rejected any suggestion that it opposed reservations for women. “Trinamool Congress has always championed higher political representation for women. We have the highest proportion of female elected representatives in both Parliament and the State Legislature,” she said, adding, “In the Lok Sabha, 37.9% of our elected members are women. In the Rajya Sabha, we have nominated 46% women members. The question of opposing Women’s Reservation does not arise and never has.”
The Chief Minister, however, reiterated her party’s strong opposition to the proposed delimitation exercise, alleging it was being pushed by the Centre for political gain. “What we are fundamentally opposed to is the Delimitation exercise that the Modi Government was plotting to push through by using women as a shield for its vested political agenda,” she said. She further alleged that such a move would amount to “altering of Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution” and warned of “gerrymandering” that could “hand greater representation to BJP-ruled states at the expense of others.”
Calling it “an assault on federal democracy,” Banerjee said her party would not remain silent. “We will not watch it happen in silence,” she asserted.
Raising questions over the timing of the legislation, she asked why the government had delayed implementation after the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in September 2023. “If this government was genuinely serious about this noble cause, why did it wait nearly three years…? Why rush it through when several states are in election? And why couple it with Delimitation?” she said.
Banerjee also took a direct swipe at the Prime Minister’s mode of communication, urging him to address such issues in Parliament. “The next time you address the nation, have the courage to do so from the Floor of Parliament, where you are subject to scrutiny, challenge and accountability,” she said, adding that his recent remarks were “cowardly, hypocritical and fork-tongued.”
Her comments come in the backdrop of a broader political confrontation over the implementation of the Women’s Reservation framework and the proposed delimitation process, both of which have triggered sharp exchanges between the ruling dispensation and Opposition parties. With elections approaching in several states, the issue has emerged as a key flashpoint, underscoring deeper concerns over federal balance, representation, and electoral strategy.
UNI SKA ARN
