The Congress on Tuesday slammed the Centre for not sharing with MPs the proposed Constitution amendment Bill(s) ahead of the special sitting of Parliament, terming it a “complete mockery of democracy” and alleging a “bulldozer mentality” on the part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said the special sitting of Parliament is scheduled to begin on April 16, when election campaigning in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal would be at its peak.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the government had declined the Opposition’s request to convene an all-party meeting after the elections.
“The Modi government has rejected the Opposition's perfectly reasonable and legitimate requests to convene an all-Party meeting after the elections are completed, fifteen days from today,” he said.
“Till this morning, the Modi government has NOT shared with MPs the Constitution Amendment Bill(s) they are supposed to be debating and voting upon,” Ramesh added.
“This makes a complete mockery of democracy and reveals the bulldozer mentality of the PM - who once claimed he was non-biological and now says he is a non-grihasthi,” he said.
The remarks came a day after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi flagged concerns over the government’s legislative agenda, asserting that the central issue was delimitation and not women’s reservation.
She described the reported delimitation proposal as “extremely dangerous” and an “assault” on the Constitution, and said any increase in the strength of the Lok Sabha must be politically, not merely arithmetically, equitable.
In an article published in The Hindu, Gandhi alleged that the government’s intent was to delay and derail the caste census.
“The prime minister is making appeals to opposition parties to support bills that the government wants to ‘bulldoze’ through Parliament in a ‘special session’ when the election campaign in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal will be at its peak,” she wrote.
“There can be only one reason for the extraordinary hurry, which is to derive political advantage and place the Opposition on the defensive,” she alleged.
The Budget Session of Parliament has been extended, with a special three-day sitting scheduled from April 16 to 18. During this period, amendments to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, also known as the Women’s Reservation Act, are expected to be taken up for its implementation in 2029.
Assembly elections in Puducherry, Assam and Kerala were held on April 9, while West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29. Tamil Nadu will go to the polls in a single phase on April 23.
