Chandigarh, April 15: Sukhbir Badal, the president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), criticized the government’s move to delimit Lok Sabha seats under the Women’s Reservation Bill on Wednesday. He described this population-based delimitation process as highly discriminatory against Punjab.
Badal stated that his party supports a multi-party initiative to oppose this delimitation effort.
Elaborating on the discriminatory nature of the delimitation, Badal said in a statement that Punjab is primarily a minority-dominated state. He emphasized that Punjab would be the biggest victim of this population-based delimitation. While Punjab will see only a nominal increase in seats, Haryana is expected to witness nearly a hundred percent increase, effectively doubling its representation in the Lok Sabha. “Where does that leave us?” he questioned, highlighting the premeditated discrimination and injustice Punjab faces.
The Akali Dal president further argued that this delimitation punishes Punjab for adhering to the national agenda on population control while rewarding states that disregard these national goals.
Badal labeled the move as a lethal blow to India’s already fragile federal structure. He claimed it is a conspiracy to consolidate power in the hands of four Hindi-speaking states: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan. This would nearly double their strength in the Lok Sabha, granting them over 40 percent combined power, thereby marginalizing other states.
Despite his criticisms, Badal reiterated his party’s unconditional support for the proposed Women’s Reservation Bill, stating that it aligns with the principles and thoughts imparted by the great Guru Sahiban.
The Akali Dal is fully in favor of reservation for women, but opposes the use of this initiative to mask dangerous delimitation tactics.
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