Women’s quota was BJP’s power play, not empowerment: Thorat

Nashik: Senior Congress functionary and former minister Balasaheb Thorat on Wednesday accused BJP of using the Women's Reservation Bill as a political tool to retain power, alleging that Centre's real intent was not women's empowerment but altering parliamentary strength through delimitation to favour north India.Addressing a press conference here, Thorat said BJP was deliberately creating confusion over the Women's Reservation Bill while accusing the opposition of "killing democracy", even as the legislation has not been operationalised since its passage.He alleged that under the guise of women's reservation, BJP planned a major expansion of Lok Sabha seats that would disproportionately benefit the Hindi-speaking belt. According to him, the proposed delimitation would add 131 seats in north India compared to just 44 in southern states, causing serious injustice to the south, and entrenching BJP's power through numerical dominance.Thorat pointed out that when the women's reservation bill was passed in 2023, Union home minister Amit Shah had assured that it would be implemented after a national census. "Two years have passed, but there has been no census, which clearly shows govt's lack of intent," he said.Taking a dig at chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Thorat said there is no need for a senior Congress politician to debate him on the issue. "Even ordinary women can expose the hollowness of BJP's claims and the chief minister's false confidence," he said.Thorat demanded immediate implementation of women's reservation as per the 2023 provisions, a nationwide caste-based census, and mandatory inclusion of OBC women within the reservation quota.He reiterated that Congress has never opposed women's reservation and accused BJP of undermining democratic federal balance in the name of reform.