Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], April 20 (ANI): AICC spokesperson and Himachal Pradesh Congress MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore on Monday accused the ruling BJP of misleading the nation on women's reservation and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct through his recent address to the nation.

Speaking to ANI in Shimla, Rathore questioned the timing and implementation of the Women's Reservation law, saying it had already been passed but was notified much later for political purposes.

'It is surprising that when the law had already been approved, why was it not implemented earlier? Why was there a need to link it now with delimitation?' he said.

The Lok Sabha took up the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-first Amendment) Bill, the Delimitation Bill, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill together for passing during the special parliament sitting from April 16 -18.

In the division that took place on the Constitution Amendment Bill following the debate on the three bills, 298 members voted in favour and 230 against. With the Constitution Amendment Bill defeated, the government later said it did not want to pursue the two other linked bills.

The bills aimed to increase the strength of the Lok Sabha from 543 to 816, with 33 per cent reservation for women. The delimitation was to be carried out based on the 2011 census. The government said there will be a proportionate increase in seats for all states.

He alleged that the notification issued on April 16 was strategically timed and tied to the delimitation process, which, according to him, is being used as a basis for future elections. 'Earlier, it was said that delimitation would follow the 2026 census, but now it appears to be part of a larger political design,' he added.

Rathore further claimed that the Prime Minister's address to the nation during the ongoing elections in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu amounted to an election speech. 'The Prime Minister represents the entire nation, but his address was focused on targeting the opposition and the Congress...This was effectively a political speech and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,' he said.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Rathore said the party was creating a 'new kind of democracy' where the government itself was leading political campaigns against the opposition. 'Traditionally, movements are led by opposition parties, but here the government is spearheading campaigns against the oppositon. This is unprecedented,' he remarked.

Defending the Congress party's record on women's empowerment, Rathore said the party has historically supported greater representation of women in politics. He recalled that previous Congress governments had pushed for 33 per cent reservation for women and highlighted that key constitutional positions, including Prime Minister, President, Lok Sabha Speaker, and Chief Justice, have been held by women during Congress rule.

He also alleged that the BJP had earlier opposed the Women's Reservation Bill when it was introduced in the 1990s and early 2000s. 'Congress has always worked to bring women forward, but now efforts are being made to politicise the issue and mislead the public,' he said.

Rathore accused the ruling party of attempting to divert attention from key governance issues by creating divisions in society. 'They have earlier tried to divide people on the basis of religion and caste, and now they are attempting to create divisions on gender lines,' he said.

Raising concerns over foreign policy, Rathore claimed that India's global standing had weakened and criticised the government's handling of international relations. 'Countries that once had a different position are now playing larger roles globally, while India's influence appears to have diminished,' he said.

He alleged that the current political narrative was being shaped with an eye on the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. 'An atmosphere is being created in the country to influence future elections rather than addressing real issues,' he added. (ANI)