BJP and PM Modi’s intent on the Women’s Reservation Bill is questionable: Balwinder Dhaliwal
Dhaliwal said BJP wants to gain political advantage through delimitation without conducting a caste census
City Air News
Apr 16, 2026 06:49
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Chandigarh, April 16, 2026: Retired IAS officer and MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal raised questions over the Central Government’s stance on the Women’s Reservation Bill. He said that this issue is not limited to women’s reservation alone, but is also about the intent of the government. A fair delimitation must be ensured. However, the ruling party is seeking political benefit by conducting delimitation without first carrying out a caste census. Because of this, instead of ensuring genuine representation, the BJP is choosing to delay its implementation.
He said that the Congress also supports reservation for women, but the ruling party’s arbitrary approach will not be accepted.
Dhaliwal said that the Central Government should first conduct a census, which must include a caste census. The Women’s Reservation Bill should guarantee representation for all sections, especially OBC and minority women. He said the Congress stands firm on its position that OBCs and minorities must get their due share in this reservation, which the BJP is deliberately ignoring.
He added that the Congress firmly believes in the principle of “proportionate representation based on population,” which reflects the true spirit of the Constitution. However, the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are avoiding implementing this principle. At present, conducting the national census is extremely important, and a caste census should also be included to reveal the country’s true social structure. Only after this should the process of delimitation begin.
He questioned why the BJP is in such a hurry to implement delimitation. This raises suspicion that there may be a political motive behind the entire process. If the BJP government truly intended to implement the Women’s Reservation Bill, it could have done so immediately in 2023 when the bill received unanimous support and was passed in Parliament. However, by linking it to the census and delimitation, the BJP has effectively postponed it indefinitely.
