DMK MP questions delay in Census, says women’s reservation is being tied to electoral strategy.
By AMIT KUMAR
New Delhi, April 17, 2026 — DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday delivered a sharp critique of the government in the Lok Sabha, accusing it of using the Women’s Reservation Bill as a political tool by linking it to the delayed Census and delimitation exercise.
Referring to the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, Kanimozhi said the legislation was passed “with great fanfare,” but came with a crucial condition — that women’s reservation would only be implemented after the Census and subsequent delimitation.
“Women’s reservation would only work after the 2021 Census, which has still not been conducted,” she said, questioning repeated delays. “The largest democracy in the world… could not conduct a Census, and now that it is politically convenient, they want to use the 2011 Census to redraw the map of Indian democracy.”
Taking aim at the government’s timing, the DMK leader alleged that the move was driven by electoral considerations rather than genuine commitment to women’s empowerment. “This is not constitutional reform… this is an electoral rescue strategy,” she said, pointing to the special session being convened amid ongoing state elections.
Kanimozhi also highlighted what she called a contradiction in urgency. “For more than a decade, the opposition has been asking for this bill. But today, you cannot even wait for two weeks — and you want us to believe you care about women’s rights?” she asked.
The DMK, she said, had supported the Women’s Reservation Bill in principle but opposed its linkage with delimitation. “Tying women’s reservation to delimitation is a trap… designed so that you can never have one without the other,” she argued.
In a pointed attack, she accused the BJP of leveraging women’s rights for political gain. “The BJP is using the women of India as a human shield for its electoral ambitions,” she said, warning that states like Tamil Nadu could see their parliamentary representation altered.
Kanimozhi urged the government to delink reservation from delimitation and implement it within the existing 543 Lok Sabha seats. “If you really care about women’s representation, the path is clear and simple,” she said, suggesting an amendment to remove the precondition.
Using a metaphor, she added: “There is a loaf of bread in front of us… we are asking to share it. But the government says wait — we will bake a big cake and then give you a small piece.”
She concluded by stressing that women have long been denied political power despite their contributions. “They have protected families and the nation… yet their work goes unrecognised because you want to tie it to delimitation.”
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FAQs:
Q1. What did Kanimozhi say about the Women’s Reservation Bill?
She supported the bill but criticised its linkage with Census and delimitation, calling it a “trap.”
Q2. Why is the Census delay important?
The bill’s implementation depends on Census data, which has not yet been updated since 2011.
Q3. What is DMK’s stance on delimitation?
DMK opposes linking delimitation with women’s reservation, fearing it could affect state representation.
Q4. What alternative did Kanimozhi propose?
She suggested implementing 33% reservation within existing Lok Sabha seats without waiting for delimitation.
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