Chanakya would've been shocked: Priyanka Gandhi to Amit Shah over women's quota
Congress's Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took a 'Chanakya' swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the women's quota debate. Her remark saw Union Home Minister Amit Shah smiling.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi countered the Centre's proposed women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday, with a jab referencing Chanakya – the philosopher and political strategist – which left Home Minister Amit Shah in splits. The Wayanad MP said that while Congress supports reservations for women MPs, the debate is not on that but on the fact that the bill smells of politics.
In a light-hearted moment during her address, Priyanka Gandhi said that the women's quota move was actually the NDA-ruled Centre's Trump card to retain electoral advantage. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier address, wherein he spoke about how the BJP has been a champion of women's rights, she said that by damaging the Constitution of India, the BJP is strengthening the foundation of their party.
Seeing Shah and several other BJP MPs laughing at her statement, Priyanka Gandhi cheekily replied, "You have all come fully planned. Today, if Chanakya had been alive, he also would have been shocked by your cunning."
The remark drew massive laughter from Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju and other BJP MPs, who took it sportingly.
Referencing the PM's address again, Priyanka Gandhi said that the BJP should tread cautiously because women are good at sensing those who lie.
"Prime Minister's remarks today suggested that the BJP have been the champions, proponents, and biggest supporters of women's reservation. This was the theme throughout his speech, even while claiming he didn't want any credit for it...A few years after reading Rahul Gandhi's letter in 2023, finally, when the government of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi unanimously passed this Act in 2023, the Indian National Congress fully supported it, in keeping with its ideology," she added, while stressing that Congress will always support women's reservation.
The Wayanad MP also asked why 33 per cent reservations cannot be given within the 543 seats of Lok Sabha currently. "If this Constitution amendment bill is passed, democracy will be finished in this country," she said.
Pointing to PM Modi's speech wherein, in a veiled dig at Congress, he mentioned how the women's quota move has always been opposed in the past, she spoke about her great-great-grandfather Motilal Nehru.
"I would like to give a little background on this topic. Because the Prime Minister mentioned a lot in his speech about who stopped it, how it was stopped, and how this decision was stalled for 30 years. My colleagues in the ruling party may not like this, but the historical background is that it was also initiated by a man named Nehru. But don't worry, this is not the Nehru you so shy away from. His father, Motilal Nehru, prepared a report in 1928 and presented it to the Congress Party's Working Committee. In it, he listed 19 fundamental rights. In 1931, the Congress session was held in Karachi under the chairmanship of Sardar Patel. This resolution was passed at that Karachi session, marking the beginning of women's equal rights becoming a part of our country's politics. At the same time, the principle of 'One Vote, One Citizen, One Value' was also established in our politics. In countries like the United States, they had to wait and struggle for this right for 150 years. Implementing women's reservations in our country's political system was a unique step in the world," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi added that the 33 per cent reservation in municipalities and panchayats was first introduced in the House by the Congress government under her late father and PM Rajiv Gandhi.
In his address, PM Modi said that those who opposed the women's quota in the past had to suffer, indirectly jabbing the Congress. He also said that the reservation was not a gift but the right of women MPs.
Under the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Centre has proposed to increase the Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850, with 815 for states and 35 for Union Territories. This will allow the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill to implement the women's quota law. However, the southern states – mostly ruled by the opposition parties – have vehemently opposed it, arguing that the delimitation exercise would significantly advantage the Hindi heartland, BJP's stronghold.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi countered the Centre's proposed women's reservation bill in Lok Sabha on Thursday, with a jab referencing Chanakya – the philosopher and political strategist – which left Home Minister Amit Shah in splits. The Wayanad MP said that while Congress supports reservations for women MPs, the debate is not on that but on the fact that the bill smells of politics.
In a light-hearted moment during her address, Priyanka Gandhi said that the women's quota move was actually the NDA-ruled Centre's Trump card to retain electoral advantage. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's earlier address, wherein he spoke about how the BJP has been a champion of women's rights, she said that by damaging the Constitution of India, the BJP is strengthening the foundation of their party.
Seeing Shah and several other BJP MPs laughing at her statement, Priyanka Gandhi cheekily replied, "You have all come fully planned. Today, if Chanakya had been alive, he also would have been shocked by your cunning."
The remark drew massive laughter from Amit Shah, Kiren Rijiju and other BJP MPs, who took it sportingly.
Referencing the PM's address again, Priyanka Gandhi said that the BJP should tread cautiously because women are good at sensing those who lie.
"Prime Minister's remarks today suggested that the BJP have been the champions, proponents, and biggest supporters of women's reservation. This was the theme throughout his speech, even while claiming he didn't want any credit for it...A few years after reading Rahul Gandhi's letter in 2023, finally, when the government of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi unanimously passed this Act in 2023, the Indian National Congress fully supported it, in keeping with its ideology," she added, while stressing that Congress will always support women's reservation.
The Wayanad MP also asked why 33 per cent reservations cannot be given within the 543 seats of Lok Sabha currently. "If this Constitution amendment bill is passed, democracy will be finished in this country," she said.
Pointing to PM Modi's speech wherein, in a veiled dig at Congress, he mentioned how the women's quota move has always been opposed in the past, she spoke about her great-great-grandfather Motilal Nehru.
"I would like to give a little background on this topic. Because the Prime Minister mentioned a lot in his speech about who stopped it, how it was stopped, and how this decision was stalled for 30 years. My colleagues in the ruling party may not like this, but the historical background is that it was also initiated by a man named Nehru. But don't worry, this is not the Nehru you so shy away from. His father, Motilal Nehru, prepared a report in 1928 and presented it to the Congress Party's Working Committee. In it, he listed 19 fundamental rights. In 1931, the Congress session was held in Karachi under the chairmanship of Sardar Patel. This resolution was passed at that Karachi session, marking the beginning of women's equal rights becoming a part of our country's politics. At the same time, the principle of 'One Vote, One Citizen, One Value' was also established in our politics. In countries like the United States, they had to wait and struggle for this right for 150 years. Implementing women's reservations in our country's political system was a unique step in the world," she said.
Priyanka Gandhi added that the 33 per cent reservation in municipalities and panchayats was first introduced in the House by the Congress government under her late father and PM Rajiv Gandhi.
In his address, PM Modi said that those who opposed the women's quota in the past had to suffer, indirectly jabbing the Congress. He also said that the reservation was not a gift but the right of women MPs.
Under the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, the Centre has proposed to increase the Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850, with 815 for states and 35 for Union Territories. This will allow the Delimitation Bill and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill to implement the women's quota law. However, the southern states – mostly ruled by the opposition parties – have vehemently opposed it, arguing that the delimitation exercise would significantly advantage the Hindi heartland, BJP's stronghold.
