Manish Tewari Criticizes Governments Approach to Womens Reservation and Redistricting
Congress MP Manish Tewari opposes linking womens reservation to redistricting, urging a separate focus on womens representation in parliament.
Chandigarh, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : Congress MP Manish Tewari expressed strong criticism of the central government’s plans regarding a potential special parliamentary session. Speaking in Chandigarh, he emphasized that the implementation of women’s reservation should not be used as a pretext for redistricting.
Tewari pointed out that no official announcement has been made regarding a special session. He questioned the necessity of linking women’s reservation to redistricting efforts. “You cannot use women’s reservation as a cover for redistricting. The Women’s Reservation Act was passed by Parliament three years ago. If you want to reserve seats for women, you can allocate one-third of the 543 seats for them,” he stated.
He also suggested that a similar arrangement could be established in state assemblies. “Why not reserve one-third of the seats for women in the assemblies? What is the difficulty? However, they want to introduce a redistricting bill under the guise of women’s reservation. This is why they could not present it in the last session,” Tewari added.
His comments come at a time when there are reports that the central government is considering convening a special session of Parliament. The aim would be to pass constitutional amendments related to redistricting and implement 33 percent reservation for women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
In addition, Tewari commented on the ongoing political debate surrounding Chhath Puja, calling it a sacred festival. He urged political parties not to politicize religious events. “Chhath Puja is a very pure and sacred festival celebrated with devotion. Religious festivals should not be politicized. They should be observed with respect, dedication, and humility,” he stated.
This statement comes amid a political controversy initiated by Raj Thackeray, leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Thackeray accused the BJP of attempting to create social and cultural tensions in Mumbai by turning Chhath Puja into a political issue. He appealed to the public not to fall into the BJP’s trap, alleging that the party is trying to sow discord between the Marathi and North Indian communities ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.
Thackeray claimed on social media that the BJP and its online ecosystem are spreading videos related to Chhath Puja, portraying these events as “cultural aggression” to incite conflict in Maharashtra. He also mentioned the playing of Bhojpuri songs at certain railway stations in Mumbai, asserting that MNS intervened to halt this trend. Thackeray further alleged that the BJP has been unsuccessful in creating the controversy it anticipated and is now frustrated.
